Balmenach
Translation: Settlement in the middle
Region: Speyside
Let's talk about something else.
Malt Whiskey has been produced by Balmenach since 1824. This malt is wonderfully round and worthy of all honor. Nevertheless, at this point we want to devote ourselves to a "secondary activity" of the distillery. Since 2009, gin is also produced here. The beautiful name is Caorunn (Gaelic for rowanberry) and is highly interesting. For the elaborate production, they have installed a Gin Still from the 1920s in the old Filling Room. The alcohol passes through five levels in a so-called "Berry Chamber" with a total of 11 different herbs and plants. In addition to the name-giving rowan berry and the gin-typical juniper berry, these are also heather, apple, cinnamon bark and coriander.
The result is delicious - and not so easy to get. Because the small batch gin is only produced in small quantities. After all, Balmenach also has a main job ...
A little history
The distillery was probably founded in 1824 by James McGregor. In 1897 McGregor's descendants founded the Balmenach Glenlivet Distillery Company as operator of the distillery. 1922 Balmenach was sold to a consortium of James Watson, Peter Dawson and MacDonald Green. This became part of the Distillers Company Limited (DCL) in 1925, which in turn transferred the license to the Scottish Malt Distillers (SMD) in 1930.
From 1941 to 1947 Balmenach was closed. In 1962, the number of stills was increased from four to six. In 1964, the traditional floor painting was replaced by a Saladin box, which was used to make malt until the 1980s. In 1987, United Distillers (UD) took over the distillery. In May 1993 Balmenach was closed. Inver House Distillers bought the distillery in late 1997 and restarted production on March 2, 1998.
Since 2009, Balmenach has produced a gin called Caorunn in small quantities alongside the malt.
What do I actually have in the glass?
The Malt Whiskey by Balmenach has a full, sherry-toned body with hints of heather honey and a soft, long finish.
Go to Gin: see "The One Dram ..." below.
3 reasons to love Balmenach
1) Because the malt is wonderful.
2) Because the gin is wonderful.
3) Because not many can do both.
The one drama for the lonely island
We are actually die-hard Malt Whiskey fans, but if we already talk about Balmenach's extraordinary sideline activity, try the Caorunn Gin. The convinced with floral aromas, citrus freshness, a spicy-spicy note and delicate sweetness.
numbers and facts
Address: Cromdale, Morayshire PH26 3PF
Founded in 1824 by James McGregor
Status: active
Owner: Inver House Distillers Ltd (Thai Beverages plc)
Capacity: approx. 2,800,000 liters
3 wash stills (16,000 l)
3 Spirit stills (10,500 l)
1 Column Still for gin production
Water: Cromdale Burn
Visitor Center: -
Telephone: +44 (0) 1479 - 872569
Website: www.inverhouse.com
