There will be a Live Balblair tasting on Twitter today led by John MacDonald – Balblair Distillery Manager; follow the action via #balblair and John is @balblairwhisky
It all starts at 7PM Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and @whiskyintel will be there too! (If the alarm clock works…).
Balblair Distillery Notes
John MacDonald, distillery manager for Balblair single malt whisky talks through the process that makes the whisky so unique…
Balblair distillery was established in 1790 making it one of the oldest working distilleries in Scotland and the oldest working distillery in the Highlands. At the distillery in Edderton, which is half an hour’s drive from Inverness, each part of the process is as important as the next. The distillery draws the pure soft water from the Allt Dearg burn set in the Struy hills. It travels open ditch to the distillery and is neither chemically treated or ultra-violet treated.
The malted barley used is virtually unpeated (1.5ppm phenol) and carefully ground through a Porteus mill and then mashed in a stainless steel mash-tun. One mash will take the staff at Balblair just over six hours to complete. It is a slow drain process which prevents many fats from being transferred from the mash-tun through the cooler to the wash-back – fats can mask and even attack flavour compounds created during the fermentation process. Next, six traditional wooden wash-backs give them the secondary fermentation from the micro-flora within the wood to give the whisky more flavour.
The two stills at the Balblair distillery have large boil-pots, fat squat necks and lye pipes that have a downward slope towards the condensers. Not only do they capture the fruity esters at the start of the distillation but also the heavier oils at the end that give Balblair its “body”. Balblair spirit cut ends at 60% abv. This is a small cut but it is quality that is what Balblair is about, not quantity.
The spirit for single malt is then collected and filled into carefully selected casks which will be stored in one of the eight traditional style warehouses dunnage (low slate roof, earthen floors, thick stone walls) for full term maturation. This traditional style of warehousing makes it a perfect micro-climate for the maturation of whisky as temperature and humidity do not vary greatly from January to December.
Then the waiting process begins…
History of Balblair
It would be hard to find a distillery set in more scenic and unspoilt surroundings than Balblair.
Established in 1790, Balblair distillery is one of the oldest working distilleries in Scotland and the oldest working distillery in the Highlands. It is strikingly situated by the beautiful Dornoch Firth on the sweep of the Cambuscurrie Bay within sight of the ancient Clach Biorach standing stone.
The original source of its water is still used to this day. The delightful and winding Allt Dearg burn flows fresh and clear from the surrounding hills. Balblair was founded by John Ross in 1790. He ran it as a thriving business and, in 1824, was joined by his son, Andrew.
The distillery stayed in the Ross family until the late 19th century when the tenancy was taken over by Alexander Cowan. Cowan ran the distillery for over half a century, before finally selling the freehold to Robert ‘Bertie’ Cumming. Bertie’s impact was remarkable, promptly expanding the distillery and increasing production, before retiring in 1970. He sold to what became Allied Distillers. Then, in 1996, Balblair was purchased by Inver House Distillers. And so began this newest chapter in the history of this timeless distillery.
Clach Biorach
Within sight of the distillery lies a great ‘stelae’, an ancient standing stone, the Clach Biorach. This ancient monument was used to mark arrival and passage of special moments in time. The stone is a fitting symbol to stand so close to Balblair with its traditions and exclusively Vintage whisky. The Picts were a confederation of tribes living in what was to become known as Scotland. A society built on strong beliefs and philosophies; they expressed much of their culture through art. The Clach Biorach was the heart of the Pictish community; it was their Gathering Place. Today, 2,000 years after the Picts, people still gather around the stone to see the sunlight pour over the Ardross Hills, marking key festival dates in the ancient calendar.
Vintages
“Our whisky tells us when it’s ready. Not the other way round.”John MacDonald, Distillery Manager
Our Vintages are selected at the absolute peak of perfection. Hand-picked, to represent the very best our distillery has to offer. Every cask is sampled, judged and selected by our Distillery Manager, to find its optimum maturation point. The point at which each Vintage says it’s ready. The casks not selected are simply not chosen. They have not yet reached their absolute best. They are left to mature further in traditional dunnage warehouses at Balblair distillery.
Their time will come.
Visit Balblair Distillery at www.balblair.com
