Name: Ben Bracken 28 Years Old
SKU: 0260190
Price: 48 GBP
Availability: InStock

A 28 year old single malt from an undisclosed Speyside distillery, bottled under the name 'Ben Bracken' from Clydesdale Scotch Whisky Co.

Charity Auction

May 2026

June 2026

July 2026

As you’re reading this blog and are possibly a customer of Just Whisky Auctions, it’s a fair assumption that you’ve visited more than a few distilleries and taken their tour.

That being the case, your guide almost certainly paused to point out the malt mill. More often than not, it’s a Porteus mill, though you might see the occasional Boby and even the odd Buhler mill.

But if it’s painted in a distinctive, unshowy shade of dark red then what you looked at was a Porteus mill (we’ll come back to the Boby mills shortly).  They’re sturdy little things, standing four-square in the mill room, ready to receive another load of malt, quiet occupants of an unobtrusive corner of the distillery that just get on with their job in a modest and understated way.

If the guide didn’t pause and point it out, a Porteus mill would never shout or draw attention to itself, you feel; happy to do an honest day’s work and then await the next consignment of malt to be turned to grist.

At this point, your guide quite probably explained that the mill was quite old and that the Porteus firm had gone out of business, outlived by the durability and simple excellence of a product so good and so enduring that it broke the company.

So well made that they required relatively little maintenance and with little or no demand for new machines both Porteus and Boby closed down many years ago.  They were outlived by their equipment and undone by the slump in whisky production of the 1970s and 80s and the ruthless consolidation of the brewing industry, meaning fewer and fewer small independent breweries.  Sadly, quite a few mills will have been scrapped which, until recently, hasn’t been a problem.

But it’s worth taking a closer look at these tough and functional looking machines and, if you do, there’s a good chance you’ll see a modest plaque somewhere on the side carrying a telephone number and the name Ronnie Lee.

Some years ago I noticed this on Jura and then, shortly afterwards, at Tobermory distillery and then again at a number of Speyside distilleries. So I began asking various guides ‘Who is this Ronnie Lee?’  No one knew – but as soon as I asked some real production people (as opposed to the friendly guides who for the most part are essentially a PR front and equipped with a marketing script) the pieces of a fascinating story fell quickly into place.

Well it turns out that, in a world of tattooed, bearded Brand Ambassadors with their hipster tweed caps, and rock-star Distillery Managers who jet from whisky show to whisky show, Ronnie Lee is a quiet hero. Yet he doesn’t give master classes, doesn’t blog and he’s definitely not part of the fashionable crowd that increasingly follow whisky these days.  But he – together, these days with son Gareth - are the men who mends the mills.  And, if you think about it, without their expertise there would be no whisky.

Working from their modest base near Chepstow, they run Euro Mechanical Engineering working as freelance millwrights.  As such, they spend most of their working days life in maintaining, servicing and, on occasion, restoring Porteus and Boby mills for the brewing and distilling industry.

Their surroundings are as far removed from whisky’s new image of sophistication, glamour and luxury as you might conceivably imagine, yet they carry out vital work as one of an elite group of engineers who keep these vintage machines in working order. Unsung and unheralded, they are essential to the smooth and effective operation of much of the distilling industry, here and internationally.

In fact, they work for Diageo, Chivas Brothers, Glenmorangie, Highland Distillers and Ian MacLeod Distillers, as well as a number of independent breweries and distilleries as far flung as Sweden, Italy and even the USA. If you want a vintage malt mill, or need one restored, Ronnie Lee is the man you call.

And that brings us to a fascinating twist in the story.  Some years ago, Ronnie acquired all the plans for the Boby mill when that firm closed down. With access to that unique archive, it was Euro Mechanical Engineering’s proud boast that, in theory, they could build a brand new Boby-style mill from scratch based on the original blueprints but updated for greater efficiency and cleaner running.

But why would you, when the originals have a working life of a century or more? Well, basically, they are desperately hard to find and with new distilleries and small breweries being built at an unprecedented pace, there’s a need for equipment of established high quality with a proven heritage.  Even the shiniest of new state-of-the-art distilleries may be discreetly supplied by a 50 or 60 year old machine which, come to think of it, is something quite amazingly heart-warming. But there just aren’t enough to go around.

And so it has come to pass that a new Boby mill has indeed been built and is now heading off to its eventual home in a soon-to-be-opened whisky distillery (which is another story, which we’ll come to in a moment).

The mill, of 4-5 tons capacity, is the product of 12 month’s work by Ronnie and Gareth Lee. The original design has been improved, Gareth telling me that while the exterior closely resembles an old-style Boby, the gears have been done away with, the roller bearings switched to a spherical shape and a double-edged synchronized belt fitted. If, like me, that’s double Dutch to you, I’m assured it means cleaner running (no oil), greater energy efficiency and potentially faster running speeds if desired by the operator. Everything has been built from the ground up with a local foundry providing custom-made castings for the bearings, which were then hand finished by Gareth.

But who has commissioned this work and where is this marvel of skillfully modernized vintage engineering to be found? Let’s hear it for the new owners, the family-owned and independent Ian Macleod Distillers, well-known for their Glengoyne and Tamdhu single malts, the imaginative reopening of Rosebank and their Edinburgh Gin brand.  They are also partners in the proposed Laggan Bay project which, if everything goes to plan, will be Islay’s twelfth distillery.

So the Boby is destined for a Hebridean home? Well, no. In fact, it is travelling around 4,000 miles to Una, a town in the southwestern Himachal Pradesh state in northern India where Macleod Distillers are currently building on a greenfield site.  The distillery, expected to be operational later this year, is designed to produce around 1.0m litres of spirit annually of Indian whisky.

Beyond that, Ian Macleod were tight-lipped though my own lengthy on-line research turned up an Environmental Impact report from the Himachal Pradesh State Pollution Control Board.  From that very comprehensive document we learn that “The project proposes to produce Malt Spirit, part of it matured for at least 2 years and above years for supplies to IMFL [that’s Indian-Made Foreign Liquor] industry for blending in various proportions and part of the matured malt spirit will be matured for more than 3 years to be called as Whisky under International norms and bottled as Indian Single Malt whisky for the Indian and export market”.   Indian Single Malt Whisky from Ian Macleod Distillers – that’s something not yet widely reported and quite a feather in the cap of relatively small independent Scottish distillers.

According to the report, the total cost is approximately £5m – quite the bargain by UK standards. 
Naturally I enquired as to the price of the mill and naturally, and quite correctly, Gareth Lee would not be drawn into the specifics. But he did hint that if you wanted one for your project you could expect to wait some 12 months or so (they’re busy) and expect to write a cheque for rather more than  £100,000.

So this is a mill that grinds slowly but is exceeding fine; evidently a labour of love and a source of great pride – and why not, because as Gareth assured me, “it will be working long after I’m in the ground.”  I wonder if in fifty or more years curious visitors will be regaled with the story – I certainly hope so.

Their surroundings are as far removed from whisky’s new image of sophistication, glamour and luxury as you might conceivably imagine

In our inaugural Blog entry, Guest writer Ian Buxton explores the seemingly unglamorous distillery mill. The unsung hero of whisky distilleries.

The Distillery Mill

Historical

In this intriguing piece, Gavin D. Smith delves into the relationship between taxes and the Scotch Whisky industry.

1823 EXCISE ACT

Useful Info

auction_live_today_2801606_357824.webp

Discover over 1,800 Whiskies in our largest auction of the year

The April Whisky Auction is Now Live

macallan_distil_your_world_mexico_edition_585699_004663.webp

70 cl

47.2%

Paris Edition

Macallan Distil Your World

macallan_distil_your_world_paris_edition_2801548_888208.webp

macallan_distil_your_world_paris_edition_2801549_604733.webp

macallan_distil_your_world_paris_edition_2801550_466799.webp

macallan_distil_your_world_paris_edition_2801551_571027.webp

macallan_distil_your_world_paris_edition_2801552_049467.webp

macallan_private_eye.jpg

35th Anniversary

Macallan Private Eye

macallan_private_eye_1961_1996_incl_cask_no_1580_2796931_801542.webp

macallan_private_eye_1961_1996_incl_cask_no_1580_2796932_720692.webp

pappy_van_winkles_23_years_old_family_reserve_2018_659722.webp

750ml

47.8%

Family Reserve 2014

Pappy Van Winkle's 23 Years Old

pappy_van_winkles_23_years_old_family_reserve_2014_2800719_561697.webp

pappy_van_winkles_23_years_old_family_reserve_2014_2800720_185681.webp

pappy_van_winkles_23_years_old_family_reserve_2014_2800718_079054.webp

Minor scratch to seal

springbank_50_years_old_1919_1970_miniature_no17_incl_certificate_2800121_364885.webp

Approx 5cl

37.8%

1970 Miniature No.17 | Incl Certificate

Springbank 50 Years Old 1919

springbank_50_years_old_1919_1970_miniature_no17_incl_certificate_2800123_048442.webp

springbank_50_years_old_1919_1970_miniature_no17_incl_certificate_2800122_549628.webp

springbank_50_years_old_1919_1970_miniature_no17_incl_certificate_2800124_849372.webp

Small nick to neck label.

st_magdalene_15_years_old_1964_wm_cadenhead_bottled_1979_2799422_434438.webp

26 2/3 fl.Ozs

45.7% vol

Wm. Cadenhead Bottled 1979

St Magdalene 15 Years Old 1964

st_magdalene_15_years_old_1964_wm_cadenhead_bottled_1979_2799423_265424.webp

st_magdalene_15_years_old_1964_wm_cadenhead_bottled_1979_2799424_658061.webp

st_magdalene_15_years_old_1964_wm_cadenhead_bottled_1979_2799425_567902.webp

Please refer to images for general condition.

midleton_very_rare_1984_75cl.jpg

75 cl

Midleton Very Rare 1984

midleton_very_rare_1984_2801579_153196.webp

midleton_very_rare_1984_2801581_468865.webp

midleton_very_rare_1984_2801580_443916.webp

midleton_very_rare_1984_2801582_739409.webp

midleton_very_rare_1984_2801583_124298.webp

midleton_very_rare_1984_2801584_292124.webp

midleton_very_rare_1984_2801585_591915.webp

midleton_very_rare_1984_2801586_015094.webp

Ben Bracken 28 Years Old Speyside Single Malt

Other

Multiple

Full Size

ben_bracken_28_years_old_speyside_single_malt.jpg

Speyside Single Malt

Ben Bracken 28 Years Old

ben_bracken_28_years_old_speyside_single_maltd5491d.webp

ben_bracken_28_years_old_speyside_single_malt91f3e0.webp

ben_bracken_28_years_old_speyside_single_malte98696.webp

January 2016

Minor marks to case

macallan_james_bond_60th_anniversary_release_decades_1_6_globe_trotter_suitcase_with_prints.jpg

43.7%

Decades 1-6 & Globe-Trotter Suitcase With Prints

Macallan James Bond 60th Anniversary Release

macallan_james_bond_60th_anniversary_release_decades_1_6_globe_trotter_suitcase_with_prints_2801539_762532.webp

macallan_james_bond_60th_anniversary_release_decades_1_6_globe_trotter_suitcase_with_prints_2801538_664037.webp

No outer brown cardboard box

macallan_30_years_old_sherry_oak_2023_release.jpg

2023 Release

Macallan 30 Years Old Sherry Oak

macallan_30_years_old_sherry_oak_2023_release_2797519_781434.webp

macallan_30_years_old_sherry_oak_2023_release_2797520_139771.webp

macallan_2005_exceptional_cask_esh_1180205_2025_release_sherry_hogshead_2794956_367635.webp

57.1% vol

2025 Estate Single Cask ESH-11802/05

Macallan 20 Years Old 2005

macallan_2005_exceptional_cask_esh_1180205_2025_release_sherry_hogshead_2794957_251874.webp

Refer to images for general condition

1999-2000 Vintage Cask Strength

Karuizawa Masterpieces in 8 Colours

49.3%

1999-2000 Vintage Sherry Butt

Karuizawa Masterpieces in 8 Colours 1st Batch

52.1%

Karuizawa Masterpieces in 8 Colours 2nd Batch

51.8%

Karuizawa Masterpieces in 8 Colours 3rd Batch

48.5%

Karuizawa Masterpieces in 8 Colours 4th Batch

52.2% vol

Karuizawa Masterpieces in 8 Colours 5th Batch

51.1%

Karuizawa Masterpieces in 8 Colours 6th Batch

Karuizawa Masterpieces in 8 Colours 7th Batch

49.4%

Karuizawa Masterpieces in 8 Colours 8th Batch

karuizawa_masterpieces_in_8_colours_1999_2000_vintage_cask_strength_2772469_040343.webp

karuizawa_masterpieces_in_8_colours_1999_2000_vintage_cask_strength_2772470_942038.webp

Minor creases to box

macallan_1964_1981_special_selection_232841.webp

1981 Special Selection

Macallan 1964

macallan_1964_1981_special_selection_2800955_451637.webp

macallan_1964_1981_special_selection_2800956_669043.webp

rosebank_31_years_old_remarkable_cask_release_one_2797832_698471.webp

46.8% vol

Release One

Rosebank 31 Years Old Remarkable Cask

rosebank_31_years_old_remarkable_cask_release_one_2797833_943607.webp

macallan_33_years_old_1989_the_world_is_on_fire_series_no1_burnobennie_x_peter_howson_framed_print.jpg

The World Is On Fire Series No.1 - Burnobennie X Peter Howson & Framed Print

Macallan 33 Years Old 1989

macallan_33_years_old_1989_the_world_is_on_fire_series_no1_burnobennie_x_peter_howson_framed_print_2801208_623286.webp

macallan_33_years_old_1989_the_world_is_on_fire_series_no1_burnobennie_x_peter_howson_framed_print_2801209_552124.webp

springbank_26_years_old_2024_countdown_collection_2nd_release_70cl_15cl.jpg

70cl & 1.5cl

51.2%

2024 Countdown Collection 2nd Release (70cl & 1.5cl)

Springbank 26 Years Old

springbank_26_years_old_2024_countdown_collection_2nd_release_70cl_15cl_2799918_662459.webp

springbank_26_years_old_2024_countdown_collection_2nd_release_70cl_15cl_2799919_588424.webp

probably_speysides_finest_glenfarclas_50_years_old_1967_2018_douglas_laings_xop_cask_refdl12418_2798747_151751.webp

52.5%

2018 Douglas Laing's XOP | Cask Ref.DL12418

Probably Speyside's Finest (Glenfarclas) 50 Years Old 1967

probably_speysides_finest_glenfarclas_50_years_old_1967_2018_douglas_laings_xop_cask_refdl12418_2798748_797771.webp

macallan_the_archival_series_folio_2_894239.jpg

Folio 2

Macallan The Archival Series

macallan_the_archival_series_folio_2_2800007_472521.webp

macallan_the_archival_series_folio_2_2800008_055505.webp

macallan_25_years_old_sherry_oak_pre_2018.jpg

700ml

Sherry Oak (Pre 2018)

Macallan 25 Years Old

macallan_25_years_old_sherry_oak_pre_2018_2800348_242091.webp

macallan_25_years_old_sherry_oak_pre_2018_2800349_552740.webp

bowmore_40_years_old_1970_signatory_vintage_cask_strength_collection.jpg

43.2% vol

Signatory Vintage Cask Strength Collection (No. 4467)

Bowmore 40 Years Old 1970

bowmore_40_years_old_1970_signatory_vintage_cask_strength_collection_no_4467_2800880_085563.webp

bowmore_40_years_old_1970_signatory_vintage_cask_strength_collection_no_4467_2800881_686319.webp

macallan_the_archival_series_folio_4.jpg

Folio 4

macallan_the_archival_series_folio_4_2800771_232798.webp

macallan_the_archival_series_folio_4_2800772_869558.webp

Very minor scratches to box.

bowmore_40_years_old_1970_signatory_vintage_cask_strength_collection_096154.webp

51.5% vol

Signatory Vintage Cask Strength Collection (No. 4686)

bowmore_40_years_old_1970_signatory_vintage_cask_strength_collection_no_4686_2800883_447125.webp

bowmore_40_years_old_1970_signatory_vintage_cask_strength_collection_no_4686_2800884_118992.webp

bowmore_22_years_old_1997_the_devils_cask_no_666_feis_ile_2019_2800038_672575.webp

700 ml

52.3%

'The Devil's Cask' No. 666 | Feis Ile 2019

Bowmore 22 Years Old 1997

bowmore_22_years_old_1997_the_devils_cask_no_666_feis_ile_2019_2800039_844812.webp

rosebank_31_years_old_1990_2022_release_2.jpg

2022 Legacy Release 2

Rosebank 31 Years Old 1990

Ben Bracken 28 Years Old

Speyside Single Malt

Ben Bracken 28 Years Old

Sell Whisky with 0% Commission

How To Buy Whisky?