Whiskeyindex - Balblair

Balblair

Scotland Northern Highland Dornoch Firth, Edderton near Tain, Ross-shire. Highland Region.

Distillery:

Founded: 1790 by an unknown founder - later expanded by Andrew Ross & Son. Balblair is the second oldest working distillery in Scotland.

Owner: Originally owned by Allied Distillers and recently purchased by Inver House. According to Mr. Boyle, the company hopes to launch Balblair as a single malt in Duty Free shops sometime in 1998.

Producer: Allied Distillers perhaps taken over by Inver House.

More Info:
Balblair has two Gaelic meanings - 'battlefield' or 'town of the plain', which date back to the first Viking landings in Ross-shire. Edderton, the home of Balblair, is known as the 'parish of the peat'. With the local supply of peat and soft water from the Struie Hills, Balblair Distillery is perfectly situated.
Balblair began as a simple pot still distillery, under the watchfull eye of John Ross. By 1887 the distillery had been expanded up the hill and it reported an output of 50,000 gallons a year. The distillate is not yet bottled by the present owners Inver House, but Balblair remains a full workingdistillery.
The Balblair whisky is a component of the Ballantine's blends.

From the book 'The Scottish Collection' - classic malts by Carol P. Shaw:
Although its origins are lost in the mists of illicit distillation, it is claimed that Blablair was founded in 1749, which would make it one fo the oldest distilleries in the country. The present buildings, dating from 1870's, are set in pretty contryside in an area known as the 'parish of peats'. The distillery had very recently been mothballed by its then owners, Allied Distillers, but was acquired from them in the spring of 1996 by the independent Inver House Distillers. The addition of Balblair gives Inver Houose four malt distilleries - Knockdhu, Speyburn-Glenlivet and Pultney, the latter also a recent purchase from Allied.

Comments:

No comments.