Region: Highland | |
---|---|
Location | Edderton |
Owner | Inver House Distillers |
Founded | 1790 |
Status | Operational |
Water source | The Allt Dearg |
No. of stills | 1 wash still (20,000l) 1 spirit still (8,500l) [1] |
Capacity | 1,800,000 litres of alcohol |
Balblair distillery is a Highland single malt Scotch whisky located in Edderton, Ross-shire, Scotland.
Founded in 1790, the distillery was rebuilt in 1895 by the designer Charles C Doig to be closer to the Edderton Railway Station on the Inverness and Ross-shire Railway line. However, so good was the original water source that the rebuilt distillery chose to ignore a nearby burn in favour of the original Ault Dearg burn. To this day, the Balblair Distillery continues to use this original water source. [2]
The Balblair Distillery was established in 1790 by John Ross. He ran Balblair as a thriving business and in 1824 he was joined by his son, Andrew. The distillery stayed in the Ross family until 1894, when the tenancy was taken over by Alexander Cowan. [2] The distillery was rebuilt in 1895 by the designer Charles C Doig to be closer to the Edderton Railway Station on the Inverness and Ross-shire Railway line. However, so good was the original water source that the rebuilt distillery chose to ignore a nearby burn in favour of the original Ault Dearg burn. To this day, the Balblair Distillery continues to use this original water source. [3]
In 1948 the freehold was bought by Robert Cumming, who promptly expanded the distillery and increased production. [3] Cumming ran the distillery until he retired in 1970 when he sold it to Hiram Walker. [3]
In 1996 Balblair Distillery was purchased by Inver House Distillers Limited, whose other distilleries include the Speyburn-Glenlivet Distillery, Knockdhu Distillery, Old Pulteney Distillery and Balmenach Distillery. [4]
Balblair has one of the oldest archives in distilling, with the first ledger entry dated 25 January 1800. John Ross himself penned that entry, which read: “Sale to David Kirkcaldy at Ardmore, one gallon of whisky at £1.8.0d”. [5]
Balblair used to release their whisky by vintage, but in April 2019 they started to release a core range of age statement whiskies. This includes but is not limited to a 12, 15, 18, 21 and 25 year old. [6]
Following its appearance in several scenes in the Ken Loach 2012 film The Angels' Share , Balblair opened a visitor centre in its former malting building. As well as containing a shop, the visitor centre is the starting point for regular tours of the distillery. [7]
Balblair current range: [8]
Single malt Scotch refers to single malt whisky made in Scotland. To qualify for this category, a whisky must have been distilled at a single distillery using a pot still distillation process and made from a mash of malted barley. Therefore, a single malt means that the whisky has not been blended elsewhere with whisky from other distilleries. As with any Scotch whisky, a single malt Scotch must be distilled in Scotland and matured in oak casks in Scotland for at least three years, although most single malts are matured longer.
Royal Brackla distillery is a Highland single malt Scotch whisky distillery on the Cawdor Estate, near Nairn in Scotland.
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Speyburn distillery is a Speyside Scottish whisky distillery, in Rothes, Moray, Scotland.
Inver House Distillers Ltd. is a Scotch whisky distiller, based in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. The company is a subsidiary of ThaiBev, one of the largest alcoholic-beverage companies in Southeast Asia.
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Oban distillery is a Highland single malt Scotch whisky distillery located in the Scottish west coast port of Oban. Established in 1794, it was built before the town of the same name, which sprang up later in the surrounding craggy harbour.
Edderton is a village near Tain, lying on the shores of the Dornoch Firth, Easter Ross and is in the Highland council area of Scotland. It has approximately 388 inhabitants. It is the location of the Balblair Distillery, and of the Edderton Cross Slab, a Class III Pictish stone, which lies in the old churchyard of the village. A quarter of a mile outside the town lies another stone, the Clach Biorach, a Class I Pictish stone.
Cardhu distillery is a Speyside single malt Scotch whisky distillery near Archiestown, Moray, Scotland. It was founded in 1824 by whisky smuggler John Cumming and his wife Helen.
Glenglassaugh distillery is a malt scotch whisky distillery which restarted production in November 2008 after being acquired by an independent investment group. Following a complete refurbishment by the new owners the distillery was re-opened on 24 November 2008 by then First Minister for Scotland Alex Salmond.
Glenturret distillery is a Highland single malt Scotch whisky distillery located two miles northwest of Crieff in Perthshire, Scotland on the banks of the Turret River.
Millburn distillery was a Highland single malt Scotch whisky distillery in Inverness Scotland. It operated between 1807 and 1985. Its whisky was an important component of the "Mill Burn" vatted malt.
Auchroisk distillery is a whisky distillery in Banffshire, Speyside, Scotland.
Aultmore distillery is a whisky distillery in Keith, Moray, producing an eponymous single malt whisky. Its name is a derived from the phrase An t-Allt Mòr, Gaelic for big burn, referring to its water source the Auchinderran burn.
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Edderton railway station served the village of Edderton, Highland, Scotland from 1864 to 1960 on the Inverness and Ross-shire Railway.