Scotland, Northern Highlands: Single malt whisky through the producing distilleries: history, making, production and tasting notes

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Northern Highlands:

Balblair

Tasting notes Distillery pictures

The distillery

Balblair Distillery
Edderton, (Tain)
Ross-shire IV19 1LB
+44 1862 821 273

Owner Inver House Distillers Ltd.

Creation date 1790

Photos

The origins of the Balblair distillery are supposed to be found in 1749. Balblair is the second oldest distillery in Scotland.
Settled in Ross-Shire, it was founded by John Ross who became first bankrupted in 1817 and the distillery remained in the family up to 1894, and it resuming at the end of World War II is due to Hug Ross.
The current distillery dates from 1872, when it was rebuild and enlarged near its original site, by Alexander Cowan, who purchased it from the grand son of John Ross.
The distillery has been closed from 1915 up to 1947.
All the warehouses but cellar 3 have beaten-earth floors . Cellar 3 has been used during the war by the British army, who built a concrete floor. It was used as an army kitchen and restaurant from 1940.
At the end of the war, the distillery has been acquired by a solicitor in Banff, Robert Cumming. This solicitor was also a refined business man, who liked drinking (sometimes too much) alcohol, One evening, after having drunk a lot, he bought the pub where he has been drinking all night long, and next day he had forgotten about it. But he took his responsibilities, and remained the owner of the pub.
Robert Cumming extended the distillery by adding a second still and two new washbacks Cumming was also owner of Pulteney.
When Cumming retired, he sold the distillery in 1970 to Hiram Walker and a third still has been added a few years later.
Hiram Walker's company has been absorbed by Allied Distillers. In 1996 the distillery was purchases by Inver House Distillers Ltd. The main part of the production is used for blends of the group like Inverhouse, Catton's, Hankey Bannister, MacArthur's, Glen Talloch and Pinwinnie Royal, and in the malt liquor called Heater Cream.

The whisky

The sites below offer tasting notes for this distillery. Please click on the logo to access this notes.

		www.whisky-distilleries.info
		passionnesdumalt.free.fr
		Club o. mosellan des amateurs de whisky
		www.whisky-distilleries.info
		www.whisky-fun.com

Geography

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Northern Highlands

Most of the distilleries of that area are settled on the wild and windy seaside between Narin and John 'O Groats, on the Eastern coast.

Click on the map for a list of the distilleries of the area, on the title for further information
about the Central Highlands area, and if you want to make an "alphabetical journey" through the area, please
click on one of the pagode roofs, according to the direction you want to follow

Photos of the distillery

Last update: Thursday, 23-Jul-2009 22:46:16 CEST
Fri 12 03 2010, 08:17 - 53 visiteurs au cours de la dernière heure et 10 visiteurs sur le site en ce moment.
Copyright:Jean-Marie Putz (2003-2007)

Whisky is an alcoholic drink. Let's prefer quality to quantity as the abuse of alcohol beverages can damage the health. Consuming alcoholic drinks during pregnancy, even in small quantities, can seriously affect the health of the child. Consumption of alcohol impairs your ability to drive a car or operate machinery, and may cause health problems.