 Banff
Distillery was founded in 1824 by James McKilligan &
Company and its history is one of great fascination. The
distillery was completely destroyed by fire in 1877, however,
within five months it was quickly rebuilt and back in full
operation. In order to prevent future disasters, a fire
engine was kept permanently on the premises. During World
War II, the Banff facilities were utilized by soldiers as
billets. Misfortune struck once again when a lone German
aircraft bombed the distillery warehouse. Although no one
was injured, the distillery was burned to the ground.
A story in The Banffshire Journal reported that
"thousands of gallons of whisky were lost, either by
burning or running to waste over the land" and a highly
detailed article by an apparant eyewitness reporter stated
that "even the farm animals grazing in the neighbourhood
became visibly intoxicated." Even the cows, it was
said, could not be milked because they could not stand up
and many ducks and geese in the nearby ponds and waterways
were killed from alcohol overdose.
In October of 1959, a dangerous explosion which was caused
by coppersmith brazing, damaged much of the distillery.
Repairs were completed and production continued until the
distillery's closure in 1983  due
to lack of water and poor quality. It is presumed the entire
whisky inventory of the distillery was sold to the blending
trade, however, it is fortunate some of the casks were released
to the independent bottlers. This enabled the single malt
connoisseur to experience this soon to be extinct whisky
in its original state. After the closing of the distillery,
years later in 1991, one of the last remaining warehouses
was destroyed by fire.
Banff was formerly owned by United Distillers & Vintners
(Diageo). |
BANFF 1976 CADENHEAD'S
15 YEAR SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
Descripton:
Copper in colour with a slight reddish tinge.
Light bodied, gentle. Water adds an extra dimension.
A pre-dinner dram. Tasting notes from Ulf
Buxrud Rare Malts: Facts, Figures and Taste.
Nose: Whiff
of smoke like burnt damp hay. Astringent on
the nose. Floral, like sun-dried grass and fruity
with apple pie and orange peel in the background.
Palate: Butterscotch,
slightly oily. Some nuttiness and distant sherry
notes. Roasted chestnut and dry Oloroso sherry.
Finish: Sweet,
light smokiness and trace of vanilla.
ABV: 57.1%
Banff 21 Year 1982 was bottled in 2004 and is
included in Diageo's Rare Collection.
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