BALBLAIR
| Location : | Dornoch Firth, Edderton near Tain, Ross-shire. Highland Region. |
| Region : | Northern Highland |
| Country : | Scotland |
| Type : | Single Malt |
| Distillery : | Balblair Edderton, Ross-shire Phone : 0862 82273 The distillery has no reception centre, but visitors are welcome by appointment. |
| 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. |
| Water : | From Ben Dearg, the water flow into the River Carron and thence to the Dornoch Firth and the sea. A burn near the distillery feeds Balblair. |
| Remark : | 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 working distillery. 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. |
| Balblair 5 years old. | |
 | |
| Age : | 5 years old. |
| Vol : | 40% | Price : | ? |
| Remark : | A sweet, slightly sherried, very slightly smoky, rich and perfumed nose. The perfume comes through to the taste, with some maltiness, and the flavour embraces every area of the tongue. Sweet to start, then an appetising tinge at either side, and a slightly dry note as it slides over the back of the tongue. A beautifully balanced, complex and satisfying whisky. |
| Balblair 10 years old. Gordon & MacPhail | |
| Sorry no picture. | |
| Age : | 10 years old. |
| Vol : | ?% | Price : | £24.50 at http://www.whiskyshop.com/ |
| Remark | From Carol Shawns book : A distinctive Highland malt whose slightly dry sharpness is nicely balanced by a light note of sweetness. Good as an aperitif, it is available from independent bottlers. |
| LINKS.......... | to official Balblair or related web pages. |
| URL : | None at present time. |
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