Blair Athol

The Blair Athol distillery is located in Pitlochry on the road from Perth to Inverness. It was founded in 1798 by John Stewart and Robert Robertson under the name "Aldour". Today it belongs to Diageo.

Information about the Distillery
241 Bottles
Scotland, Highlands
-3.721533 56.697833
Active
Diageo
2 x 13,000 l
Gedrungen
2 x 11,500 l
Gedrungen
6 x 40,000 l
8 t
1798
2,500,000 l
https://www.malts.com/en-gb/distilleries/blair-athol
Average tasting notes Tasting notes
i
Nosing
Sweet:
Sweet:
Fruit:
Sherry:
Fruit:
Sherry:
Spices:
Oak:
Oak:
Zitrus:
Zitrus:
Spices:
Vanilla:
Vanilla:
Malt:
Peat Smoke:
Herb:
Herb:
Caramel:
Caramel:
Chocolate:
Chocolate:
Herbs:
Honey:
Honey:
Nuts:
Malt:
Peat Smoke:
Raisin:
Raisin:
Apple:
Apple:
Herbs:
Dark Chocolate:
Dark Chocolate:
Barley:
Barley:
Berries:
Berries:
Banana:
Leather:
Leather:
Banana:
Almonds:
Almonds:
Pepper:
Nuts:
Pepper:
Orange:
Orange:
Dried Fruit:
Pineapple:
Cinnamon:
Dried Fruit:
Pineapple:
Cinnamon:
Lemon:
Mint:
Mint:
Lemon:
Lime:
Pear:
Lime:
Pear:
Blackberry:
Blackberry:
Plum:
Plum:
Floral:
Peach:
Tropical Fruit:
Floral:
Tropical Fruit:
Peach:
Clove:
Clove:
Alcohol:
Alcohol:
Cake:
Cake:
Heather:
Grass:
Anis:
Heather:
Grass:
Melon:
Ham:
Date:
Nutmeg:
Tobacco:
Ham:
Tobacco:
Lemon Peel:
Nutmeg:
Date:
Melon:
Lemon Peel:
Grape:
Grape:
Coffee:
Coffee:
Cherry:
Grapefruit:
Fig:
Bonfire Smoke:
Hay:
Wheat:
Oil:
Ginger:
Bonfire Smoke:
Cherry:
Grapefruit:
Fig:
Oil:
Hay:
Ginger:
Wheat:
Medicinal Smoke:
Green Apple:
Strawberry:
Green Apple:
Medicinal Smoke:
Strawberry:
Tasting
Sweet:
Sweet:
Fruit:
Spices:
Sherry:
Oak:
Oak:
Sherry:
Fruit:
Spices:
Nuts:
Caramel:
Caramel:
Oil:
Oil:
Chocolate:
Chocolate:
Honey:
Honey:
Malt:
Malt:
Herb:
Herb:
Peat Smoke:
Zitrus:
Zitrus:
Peat Smoke:
Herbs:
Nuts:
Vanilla:
Vanilla:
Banana:
Banana:
Pepper:
Pepper:
Plum:
Dried Fruit:
Dried Fruit:
Ginger:
Plum:
Ginger:
Raisin:
Raisin:
Herbs:
Almonds:
Almonds:
Coffee:
Coffee:
Apple:
Apple:
Dark Chocolate:
Dark Chocolate:
Mint:
Orange:
Pear:
Pear:
Orange:
Cinnamon:
Mint:
Cinnamon:
Melon:
Peach:
Melon:
Berries:
Peach:
Berries:
Grape:
Blackberry:
Floral:
Floral:
Blackberry:
Grape:
Chili:
Chili:
Heather:
Cake:
Leather:
Hazelnut:
Cake:
Hazelnut:
Fig:
Cherry:
Leather:
Cherry:
Fig:
Heather:
Wheat:
Anis:
Wheat:
Date:
Date:
Maritime Notes:
Hay:
Barley:
Lemon:
Maritime Notes:
Hay:
Barley:
Lemon:
Seaweed:
Seaweed:
Alcohol:
Alcohol:
Tobacco:
Tropical Fruit:
Pineapple:
Grapefruit:
Bonfire Smoke:
Green Apple:
Bonfire Smoke:
Pineapple:
Tobacco:
Green Apple:
Tropical Fruit:
Grapefruit:
Lemon Peel:
Black Currant:
Grass:
Ham:
Nutmeg:
Grass:
Salt:
Ham:
Black Currant:
Salt:
Nutmeg:
Kiwi:
Kiwi:
Clove:
Clove:
Lemon Peel:
Finish
Oak:
Oak:
Sherry:
Sweet:
Sweet:
Spices:
Sherry:
Spices:
Fruit:
Fruit:
Herb:
Herb:
Malt:
Malt:
Nuts:
Peat Smoke:
Pepper:
Pepper:
Peat Smoke:
Dark Chocolate:
Dark Chocolate:
Vanilla:
Vanilla:
Honey:
Honey:
Nuts:
Chocolate:
Oil:
Chocolate:
Oil:
Herbs:
Coffee:
Coffee:
Herbs:
Zitrus:
Zitrus:
Clove:
Cinnamon:
Tobacco:
Tobacco:
Cinnamon:
Clove:
Chili:
Berries:
Chili:
Berries:
Plum:
Alcohol:
Dried Fruit:
Dried Fruit:
Alcohol:
Plum:
Lemon:
Barley:
Pineapple:
Pineapple:
Lemon:
Floral:
Barley:
Floral:
Caramel:
Heather:
Heather:
Caramel:
Almonds:
Nutmeg:
Almonds:
Leather:
Leather:
Nutmeg:
Grape:
Grape:
Date:
Blackberry:
Date:
Blackberry:
Banana:
Hay:
Banana:
Hay:
Strawberry:
Red Currant:
Ginger:
Mint:
Raisin:
Cake:
Tropical Fruit:
Green Apple:
Cherry:
Pear:
Red Currant:
Apple:
Mint:
Raisin:
Strawberry:
Cake:
Tropical Fruit:
Green Apple:
Cherry:
Pear:
Bonfire Smoke:
Ginger:
Bonfire Smoke:
Apple:
Details about the Distillery

The Whisky

There is only one official distillery bottling of the Blair Athol Distillery, the Blair Athol 12-year-old. The distillery character can be described as strong and voluminous. The Whiskies at Blair Athol are mostly matured in Sherry casks and therefore rather sweet.

A lot of the Blair Athol Whisky is enjoyed as Single Malt is bottled by independent bottlers. Here you get the true character of the distillery, a good Highland Malt.

Most of the Whisky from the Blair Athol distillery goes into the Blend production. It is used in Bell's blended Scotch Whisky, a product of the Diageo company. Here the sweetness and the spiciness from the rich European oak casks are used as a spice in the Blended Whisky.

The Production

The output of the distillery is about 2.5 million litres of alcohol per year. Blair Athol distilles on four pot stills, and the water comes from the Allt Dour Burn.

The Pot Stills

There are two wash stills with 13,000 litres capacity each and two spirit stills with about 12,000 litres capacity. The stills are very pear-shaped with no reflux bowl or constricting pieces. This is important for the rough Highland character.

The Malting

Formerly Blair Athol got its malt from the UD maltings, which today is one of the Diageo suppliers.

The Warehouse

The warehouses are flat and bricked with old heavy stones - a perfect place for the Whisky to mature in a moist and rather chilled environment.

The History

The Blair Athol distillery is very old. It was founded back in 1798 by John Stewart and Robert Robertson under the name of 'Aldour distillery'. However, it was not very successful and soon had to close. In 1825 the distillery was enlarged and reopened by John Robertson under the name Blair Athol. Right before the second world war the distillery was acquired by Arthur Bell & Sons. Shortly afterwards the distillery was mothballed again. In 1949, when the economy had picked up again, the distillery was renovated and reopened. Later Bells was bought by Diageo, and they are still the owners today.

The Visitor Centre

There is a visitor centre and a shop where you can buy all the bottlings of Blair Athol and Bell's blended Scotch. The top tour includes a visit of the production and the warehouses, as well as a tasting directly from the cask.

Visitor information

Blair Athol Distillery
Perth Road
Pitlochry
Perthshire
PH16 5LY
Tel: +44 (0)1796-482003
Email: blair.athol@malts.com 

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