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

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Central Highlands:

Blair Athol

Tasting notes Distillery pictures

The distillery

Blair Athol Distillery
Pitlochry,
Perthshire
PH16 5LY
+44 1796 472 161

Owner: United Distillers & Vintners (Diageo) Ltd

Creation date 1798

Photos

When the activities of the Blair Athol distillery actually began is not known. There is however evidence that farmers around there were distilling from the beginning of the 18th century. So farmers were busy in the fields in the summer and at the distillery in the winter. In 1798 a distillery called Aldour has been created on the site of the current distillery by John Stewart and Robert Robertson.
Their business was not very good, but after the promulgation of the Excise Act the distillery has been taken over by James Robertson under the name of Blair Athol.
The distillation resumed in 1827 under the direction of Alexander Connacher. Peter MacKenzie bought the distillery around 1850 and he made it popular in Scotland and England.
The distillery closed in 1932 and the Peter Mackenzie & Co company was taken over by Arthur Bell & Sons. The distillery did not reopen until 1949, after a complete refurbishment.
The production capacity was doubled in 1970. A visitor centre opened in 1987. Arthur Bell & Sons became part of Guinness in 1989. The latter is currently part of the UDV Group (United Distillers and Vintners Diageo).
Only 5% of the production is marketed as single malt (among others in the Fauna & Flora collection), the remaining part being sold to blenders, like Bell's.

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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Central Highlands

The County of Perth, between the Lowlands and the Higlands is famous for its hilly landscapes.
About one hundred distilleries were settled in the area during the 19th century, and just a few of them survived, and some others were build during the 20th century. The area is wider than just the Perth county, as Dalwinnie, in the South of Inverness county is also included in that area.

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: Friday, 24-Jul-2009 18:49:53 CEST
Thu 29 07 2010, 17:52 - 97 visiteurs au cours de la dernière heure et 10 visiteurs sur le site en ce moment.
Copyright:Jean-Marie Putz (2003-2007)

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