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Blair Athol Scotch Whisky

Distillery Style
Tasting Notes

Nose: Heavy with fruit and spices.

Palate: Big and chewy. Cinnamon fruit cake, marmalade.

Finish: Complex and mouth coating.

Blair Athol Distillery, Pitlochry,

Perthshire
PH16 5LY
Tel: +44 (0)1796 472161

Visitor Centre
Please phone for details

Blair Athol Scotch Whisky Distillery History

Blair Athol Distillery is located in the picturesque town of Pitlochry regarded as the gateway to the Scottish Highlands..

The earliest mention of a distillery in the area is in 1798 when partners John Stewart and Robert Robertson built a distillery that they named “Aldour” - after the Allt Dour - the "burn of the otter" - Their undertaking, however, was not successful and the distillery closed. This was possibly due to the heavy excise duties on malt whisky levied by the government at the time..

In 1826 Blair Athol was resurrected by John Robertson and by 1827 was being run by Alexander Connacher. In 1860 Elizabeth Conacher took over

The distillery was then taken over by Peter Mackenzie & Co in 1882 and who enlarged and improved the distillery so that by 1886 Blair Athol was capable of producing over 1,500 gallons (6,800 litres) per week. In 2003 the distillery was producing 8350 gallons (38,000 litres)per week.

In 1933 Arthur Bell & Sons, now a subsidiary of Diageo, acquired Blair Athol. The distillery had been closed the previous year 1932 and remained closed throughout the years of depression and the Second World War.

In 1949 it was extensively rebuilt and has been in production ever since.

In 1973 the number of stills was increased from 2 to 4 and in 1975 a dark grains plant was installed.

The Distillery produces a 12-Year-Old Single Malt Whisky, with a mellow deep-toned aroma, a strong fruity flavour and a smooth finish.

Blair Athol is also a chief component to the Bell's Blend, the most popular blended whisky in the U.K.

Blair Athol Single Malt Scotch Whisky Distillery Bottlings
 
Blair Athol 12 years Flora & Fauna
With a mellow deep-toned aroma, a strong fruity flavour and smooth finish.

Blair Athol Single Malt Scotch Whisky Older Distillery Bottlings

Blair Athol 1981 (bottled in 1997) Rare Malts Selection
Blair Athol 27 years old 1975 (bottled in 2003) Rare Malts Selection 

Blair Athol Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Independent Bottlings

Cadenhead’s
Connoisseurs Choice Gordon & MacPhail
Directors Cut (Douglas Laing)
Duncan Taylor Collection
Old Malt Cask (Douglas Laing),
Platinum (Douglas Laing),
Premier Barrel (Douglas Laing),
Provenance (Douglas Laing),
Signatory

Blair Athol Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Directors Cut Bottling By Douglas Laing

Distilled July 1995
Bottled August 2011 By Douglas Laing under their Directors Cut Label
Cask Strenght at 58.1% alc vol
From Sherry cask no 7154 one of 272 bottles

Nose: Like a fruit basket in style + Spice & lightly fired pastry.

Palate: more (lightly smoked) spice + sugar steeped soft red fruit.

Finish: Interesting barley sugar precedes a dry malty gristiness (F).