Balblair Scotch Whisky.

Balblair Whisky Distillery History

Founded in 1790 Balblair is the second oldest working distillery in Scotland. It is situated on the Dornoch firth, one of the most stunning scenic areas of Scotland. The area is known as the 'parish of the peats' whilst the name Balblair means battlefield or town of the plain. .

John Ross founded the distillery and ran it as a thriving business until in 1817 he was sequestrated however this did not stop him and in 1824 was joined by his son Andrew in the family business.

The distillery stayed in the Ross family until in 1894 when the tenancy was taken over by Alexander Cowan. In 1948 the freehold was bought by Mr. Robert Cumming who promptly expanded the distillery and increased production. Mr Cumming ran the distillery until 1970 when he sold it to what became Allied distillers, for the first time in its history Balblair was not owned by local businessmen.

In 1996 Balblair was purchased Inver House Distillers.

The distillery itself is a two pot still capable of producing approximately 1.4 million litres of whisky a year. The water is drawn from the Ault Dearg burn which originates in the Struie hill.

Today the Ross legacy of the area lives on as four out of the seven current employees share the surname Ross

Balblair Distillery Bottlings

The Balblair range of single malts are now marketed as a vintage range

Every year the Distillery Manager, John MacDonald, selects the finest examples of Balblair from the maturing whiskies which he believes best exemplify Balblair Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky: rich spices; fruits and a pleasant leathery note. Of the thousands of barrels sampled each year, only a limited number are bottled as Balblair Vintage Single Malt capturing the very essence of Balblair.

Balblair Vintage 1997

Balblair Vintage 1989

Balblair Vintage 1979

Balblair Older Distillery Bottlings

Balblair Elements

Balblair 10 year old

Balblair 16 Year Old

Balblair 24 Year Old

Balblair 33 Year Old

Balblair 38 Tear Old

Balblair 1989 Limited Edtion

Balblair Peaty 1992

Balblair Whisky Independent Bottlings

Cadenhead's,

Dewar Rattery

Private Collection (Gordon & MacPhail),

Un Chill Filtered (Signatory).

Published 8 times a year Whisky Magazine is the perfect complement to the dram in your glass. Every issue brings you fascinating articles on the art, science and romance of the 'water of life', plus page after page of tasting notes

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