Ballindalloch 2014

Ballindalloch: In 2012, the Macpherson-Grant family, owners of Ballindalloch Castle in the heart of Scotland's Speyside region, decided to convert a farm built in 1820 into a whisky distillery. The family has been involved in distilling since the 1860s; from 1923 to 1965, they were part owners of the nearby Cragganmore distillery. Now, the old farm and its buildings have been renovated into a new distillery, visible from the A95 highway between Aberlour and Grantown-on-Spey. The distillery's water source is the nearby Garline spring; all barley is grown on the farm. All equipment is located on the second floor so visitors can clearly see the production process. The distillery is equipped with a very special 1.5-ton copper-topped cast iron mash tun; it also has 4 Oregon pine fermentation vats (with longer fermentation times to increase the fruity flavor of the whisky). Currently, the long fermentation time is 140 hours; the short fermentation time is 92 hours. In addition, the distillery also has a 5,000-liter lantern-shaped wash still and a 3,600-liter spirit still with a reflux ball. To cool the steam from the stills, these two stills are connected to two wooden worm tub condensers. The distillery was put into use in September 2014; on April 16, 2015, after Prince Charles cut the ribbon, it officially opened. The distillery operates 5 days a week with a capacity of 100,000 liters. The distillery hopes to produce robust, full-bodied whisky. To achieve this, worm tub condensers are used. It is expected that in 2022, the distillery will launch its first single malt whisky. As of March 2019, the distillery has filled 3,000 barrels of matured whisky. Visitors can tour the distillery by appointment. In addition, visitors also have the opportunity to participate in the entire whisky-making process, that is, under the guidance of staff, experience and learn the production process from mashing to maturation.