Balblair distillery information
The Balblair distillery was established in Edderton, Ross-shire in the Scottish Highlands in 1790 by John Ross, who was joined by his son Andrew in 1824. In 1862, the Highland Railway Company built a line between Inverness and Ardgay, passing closely by the distillery. Balblair remained in the hands of the Ross family until 1894, when it was bought by Alexander Cowan, a wine merchant from Inverness. Under Cowan’s guidance, the distillery was rebuilt (designed by famous distillery architect Charles C. Doig) closer to the railroad, roughly half a mile north of the old location, though they stuck to using the original water source (despite a nearby burn being available). In 1911, Cowan was forced to mothball the distillery, and it remained closed until it was bought by Robert “Bertie” Cummings, a lawyer from Keith, in 1948. The distillery was reopened a year later. Cummings would also increased capacity and production, adding additional warehouses and a steam boiler in 1964, as well as adding a third still. In 1970, Cumming retired and sold the distillery to Hiram Walker; the company that would later become Allied Distillers. 10 years later, in 1980, it’s once again time for improvements; this time in the mash house. Two new steel grist bins are installed, and the roof is replaced. In 1996, Balblair Distillery was bought by Inver House Distillers (who also operate Speyburn, Knockdhu, Old Pulteney and Balmenach). Nowadays, Balblair is somewhat dwarfed by it’s famous neighbor in Tain, Glenmorangie. Roughly 15% of the whisky distilled at Balblair is sold as single malt. The majority will find its way into blends. In the summer of 2023, Balblair installed a Thermal Vapour Recompression (TVR) system to recover waste heat from distillation, part of a wider sustainability programme that has also moved the distillery away from heavy fuel oil. The distillery has also outlined plans to send distillation co-products to an anaerobic digestion facility in partnership with Acorn Bioenergy, for use as low-carbon biogas.Balblair Whiskies
Balblair moved away from vintage-dated releases in 2019, when the distillery introduced a standard age-statement core range.- Balblair 12 Year Old — 46% ABV, matured in American oak ex-bourbon and double-fired American oak casks
- Balblair 15 Year Old — 46% ABV, ex-bourbon casks with a first-fill Spanish oak sherry butt finish
- Balblair 18 Year Old — 46% ABV, combination of ex-bourbon and sherry cask maturation
- Balblair 25 Year Old — 46% ABV, ex-bourbon casks with an Oloroso sherry cask finish
- Balblair 17 Year Old — travel-retail exclusive, 46% ABV
- Vintage 1969 First release (grey luxury box). Matured in American oak, ex-bourbon hogshead casks.
- Vintage 1983 First release (purple packaging). Matured in American oak, ex-Bourbon barrels.
- Vintage 1990 2nd release (red packaging). Matured in American oak ex-Bourbon casks and Spanish oak ex-Sherry butts.
- Vintage 1999 First release (purple packaging). Matured in Spanish oak, ex-Sherry butts.
- Vintage 1999 2nd release (green packaging).
- Vintage 2003 First release (blue packaging). Matured in American oak, ex-Bourbon barrels.
- Vintage 2004 Sherry matured. First Release (pink packaging). Matured in American and Spanish oak ex-Sherry butts.
- Vintage 2004 Bourbon matured. First Release (orange packaging). Matured in Bourbon barrels.
Distillery info:
Detail |
Information |
|---|---|
| Name | Balblair |
| Region | Highland |
| Country | Scotland |
| Logo |  |
| Status | Active |
| Founded | 1790 |
| Water source | The Allt Dearg |
| Malting floor | No |
| Owned by | Inver House Distillers Limited |
| Address | Balblair Edderton Tain Ross-Shire IV19 1LB United Kingdom |
| Visitor centre | Yes |
| Website | https://www.balblair.com/ |
| https://www.twitter.com/balblairwhisky | |
| https://www.facebook.com/balblair | |
| https://www.instagram.com/balblairwhisky/ | |
| Map |
Distillery Setup:
Component |
Capacity |
Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Mash tun | 4.75 tonnes | 1 (Stainless steel, semi-lauter) |
| Washback | 23,000 litres | 6 (Oregon pine) |
| Wash still | 19,000 litres | 1 |
| Spirit Still | 11,000 litres | 2 |
| Expected yearly output in LPA (Litres of pure alcohol) | 1,350,000 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Balblair was established in Edderton, Ross-shire, in the Scottish Highlands, in 1790 by John Ross, who was later joined by his son Andrew in 1824, making it one of the oldest distilleries in Scotland.
The Highland Railway Company built a line between Inverness and Ardgay in 1862, passing close by the distillery. When Alexander Cowan, a wine merchant from Inverness, bought Balblair from the Ross family in 1894, he had it rebuilt, designed by architect Charles Doig, roughly half a mile north of the old site to sit closer to the railroad, while still drawing from the original water source rather than a nearby burn.
Cowan was forced to mothball the distillery in 1911. It remained closed until Robert “Bertie” Cummings, a lawyer from Keith, bought it in 1948 and reopened it the following year. Cummings expanded capacity over the years, adding warehouses and a steam boiler in 1964 along with a third still, before retiring and selling the distillery to Hiram Walker in 1970, the company that would later become Allied Distillers.
Inver House Distillers bought Balblair in 1996. Inver House also operates Speyburn, Knockdhu, Old Pulteney and Balmenach.
Roughly 15% of the whisky distilled at Balblair is sold as single malt, with the majority going into blends. Balblair is somewhat overshadowed by its famous neighbour in nearby Tain, Glenmorangie.
In the summer of 2023, Balblair installed a Thermal Vapour Recompression (TVR) system to recover waste heat from distillation, part of a wider programme that has also moved the distillery away from heavy fuel oil. Balblair has also outlined plans to send its distillation co-products to an anaerobic digestion facility in partnership with Acorn Bioenergy, to be used as low-carbon biogas.
Not as its main approach. Balblair moved away from vintage-dated releases in 2019, when it introduced a standard age-statement core range: a 12, 15, 18 and 25 Year Old, plus a 17 Year Old travel-retail exclusive, all bottled at 46% ABV. Earlier vintage releases, spanning years like 1969, 1983, 1990, 1999, 2003 and 2004, remain part of the distillery’s history.
Yes, Balblair has a visitor centre.