Benriach was founded in 1898 by John Duff, during the great whisky boom of the late nineteenth century. The timing proved unfortunate: shortly after opening, the industry entered a deep crisis and production ceased. The floor maltings remained active, however, supplying malted barley to the neighbouring Longmorn distillery. Benriach did not resume whisky production until 1965, after which most of its spirit was destined for blended Scotch.

An important turning point came in 2004, when Benriach was acquired by an independent group and established more prominently as a single malt. Since 2016, the distillery has been part of Brown-Forman. Benriach stands apart within Speyside by producing three distinct styles of spirit: classic unpeated, smoky whisky made with Highland peat and, in smaller quantities, triple-distilled spirit. It also works with an unusually broad selection of casks.

This versatility has made Benriach popular among enthusiasts of creative cask maturation and varied whisky styles. The distillery combines a fruity Speyside foundation with room for smoke, spice and richer cask-driven flavours.