BenRiach confident over hopes for 2016 following strong showing last year

SCOTCH whisky distiller BenRiach declares the market outlook for 2016 is “extremely buoyant” in its latest accounts, attributing a dip in turnover last year to a decision to reduce sales of new-fill spirit.

Turnover at BenRiach, run by Scotch whisky industry veteran Billy Walker, declined by 1.4 per cent to £40.96 million in 2015, and pre-tax profits fell from £11.1m to £10.7m.

However, BenRiach’s directors say that global sales of single malt whisky continue to be buoyant, as evidenced by strong performances in 2015 by all three of its brands, The GlenDronach, BenRiach, and Glenglassaugh.

They say the financial results achieved in 2015 were “excellent”.

And they add: “The directors consider the market outlook for 2016 to continue to be extremely buoyant.”

The directors say the company’s bottling plant at Newbridge, near Edinburgh, continues to attract new customers.

They note the plant provides flexibility in bottling the company’s own brands.

The accounts cover the last full financial year before BenRiach’s deal to be taken over by Jack Daniel’s owner Brown-Forman Corporation for more than £280 million.

This takeover was announced in April and completed on June 1.

The acquisition included brand trademarks, the three malt whisky distilleries, the bottling plant, and The BenRiach Distillery Company’s headquarters in Edinburgh.