Ballindalloch Distillery

Ballindalloch distillery marks the return of the Macpherson-Grant family to the whisky business after more than 50 years out of the game. And as far as dramatic comebacks go, there are worse ideas than situating your new distillery on the grounds of the family’s ancestral castle. This distillery was built on the grounds of Ballindalloch Estate in the Speyside region, home to the Macpherson Grant family since the 16th century.

Prior to this they had been involved with the nearby Cragganmore distillery for almost a century before parting ways. They first leased John Smith land to built it in 1869, later becoming part owners on his death in 1923. The Macpherson-Grants’ connection with Cragganmore ended in 1965 when they sold their stake to Distillers Company Limited.

The idea of Ballindalloch distillery took root in 2011, with members of the family irritated by the run down farm steading on the grounds of the estate. The following year Guy Macpherson Grant, the 23rd occupier of the estate, undertook to convert it into a distillery. He restored the decrepit farm buildings to their beautiful original condition over the next two years with the help of local tradesmen. The distillery began production in September 2014, but had an official opening ceremony the year after with Prince Charles.

Ballindalloch benefits from an abundance of local resources, with the distillery’s water coming from the nearby Garline springs. The castle estate also supplies all of the barley used for whisky production at the distillery.

The distillery is equipped with a one ton mash tun, four Oregon Pine washbacks, and a single set of stills. Fermentation times lean towards very long, going as high as 140 hours. The lamp glass shaped wash still has a 5,000 litre capacity, while spirit still, designed with a reflux ball, can hold 3,600. Worm tubs and copper worm tubes are used for cooling, which increases the length of the copper interaction. The distillery has an annual production capacity of 100,000 litres.

Macpherson-Grant has said that they will not be releasing any of their whisky until it is at least eight years old. That means that the first single malt release can be expected in 2022. The newmake spirits are robust, but also fruity due to the long fermentation times.