Balmenach Single Malt Whisky

Balmenach

Region Highlands

District Speyside

Water source uit de Cromdale Hills

Neighbours Braeval, The Speyside, Royal Lochnagar

Owner Inver House Distillers

Manager

Visitor centre By appointment only.

Address Cromdale, Grantown-on-Spey
Morayshire, PH26 3PF

Phone +44 (0)1479 872 569

Website http://www.balblairdistillery.com/distilleries-balmenach.php

History 1824 : established by James McGregor
1922 : sold to DCL
1993 : closed by UDV
1998 : bought by Inver House Distillers (first distillation of the Balmenach 5 year old in March)

House Style Often sherried, with a spicy, honey character.

Pronunciation bal-mey-nach

Meaning

Capacity per year 2.000.000 litres

Independent Bottler Aberfoyle & Knight
Cadenhead
Gordon & MacPhail
Hart Brothers
Inverarity

Information
Currently they don't bottle any single malt. (source: InverHouse January 2007).
Balmenach distillery is nestled at the bottom of the Haughs of Cromdale in the Spey valley. It was in these hills on the last day of April 1690 that an army of Jacobite soldiers were ambushed by dragoon guards, as the Jacobite forces were ambushed during their sleep many were slain the remaining fled nearly naked, this defeat effectively ended the Jacobite rising in the Highlands.
In the early 1800 three brothers crossed these hills from Tomintoul and set up a farm. One of these brothers was
a James McGregor who also set up an illicit still on the site. Shortly after the licensing act was introduced James McGregor obtained a license for his distillery formally establishing
it in 1824.

PREVIOUS DISTILLERY BOTTLINGS

Balmenach - Highland Selection - 27 year old - 46%
Bottled in 2001.
Colour:
Gold.
Nose:
Sweet, tropical fruit and bananas.
Palate:

Finish:

Balmenach 1972 - Highland Selection - 28 year old - 46%
Colour:
Gold.
Nose:

Palate:
Creamy honey, leather and a touch of peat.
Finish:
Dry, ginger, syrup, smoked, sulfur.

INDEPENDENT BOTTLINGS FROM ABERFOYLE & KNIGHT

Deerstalker (Balmenach) - Aberfoyle & Knight - 12 year old - 40%
Chillfiltered.
Cask:
Sherry.
Colour:

Nose:

Palate:

Finish:

Deerstalker (Balmenach) - Aberfoyle & Knight - 18 year old - 40%
Chillfiltered.
Cask:
Sherry.
Colour:

Nose:

Palate:

Finish:

INDEPENDENT BOTTLINGS FROM CADENHEAD

Balmenach 1989 - Cadenhead - 17 year old - 54,6%
Bottled in September 2006 and limited to 312 bottles.
Cask:
Bourbon.
Colour:

Nose:
Marzipan with hints of oak.
Palate:
Dry with hints of wood shavings. Smooth and mellow.
Finish:

INDEPENDENT BOTTLINGS FROM GORDON & MACPHAIL

Balmenach 1989 - Connoisseurs Choice - 17 year old - 43%
Cask:
Refill Sherry Hogsheads.
Colour:
Light straw.
Nose:
Lively, vanilla, cut grass, lemons, hint of heather blossom.
Palate:
Smooth and coating, citrus fruits, malt and trace of smouldering heather smoke.
Finish:
Spicy and refreshing.

Balmenach 1988 - Connoisseurs Choice - 40%
Cask:
Refill Sherry Hogsheads.
Colour:
Lemon gold.
Nose:
Sweet and floral - heather honey. Fruity - boiled sweets.
Palate:
Smoky with spicy overtones - tobacco leaf. Hint of sherry.
Finish:
Dry grass - hay.

Balmenach 1988 - Connoisseurs Choice - 43%
Cask:
Refill Sherry Hogsheads.
Colour:
Pale yellow.
Nose:
Citrus fruits - lemon and limes with some floral and heather aromas, with a slight spiciness - cinnamon sticks.
Palate:
Oily and spicy with an initial smoky note. Mellows out to a rich, fruit character with a hint of new leather.
Finish:
Fruit notes with a hint of malt.

Balmenach 1975 - Connoisseurs Choice - 43%
Cask:
First fill sherry casks.
Colour:
Golden orange.
Nose:
Rich resinous sherry wood. Burnt fruitcake aromas with spices and hints of hessian.
Palate:
Sherry wood with hints of smokiness. Green fruity notes present - granny smiths.
Finish:
Sherry with spicy notes.

Balmenach 1974 - Connoisseurs Choice - 40%
Cask:
First Fill and Refill Sherry Casks.
Colour:
Bright amber.
Nose:
Rich sherry, sweet white wine - bananas and ripe apples. Hints of dry grass and heather moorland.
Palate:
A thick, coating sweetness. Sherry with nutty notes and hints of malt, coffee beans and fresh tobacco.
Finish:
Sherry wood.

INDEPENDENT BOTTLINGS FROM HART BROTHERS

Balmenach 1972 - Hart Brothers - Port Wood - 30 year old - 50,1%
Colour:

Nose:
Honey with traces of chocolat and spices.
Palate:
Creamy. Dry and peppery.
Finish:
Juicy and spicy.

INDEPENDENT BOTTLINGS FROM INVERARITY

Ancestral (Balmenach) - Inverarity - 14 year old - 40%
Chillfiltered.
Cask:
Sherry.
Colour:

Nose:

Palate:

Finish:

	Balmenach 1989 - Connoisseurs Choice - 17 year old - 43% Cask: Refill Sherry Hogsheads. Colour: Light straw. Nose: Lively, vanilla, cut grass, lemons, hint of heather blossom. Palate: Smooth and coating, citrus fruits, malt and trace of smouldering heather smoke. Finish: Spicy and refreshing.
	Balmenach 1988 - Connoisseurs Choice - 40% Cask: Refill Sherry Hogsheads. Colour: Lemon gold. Nose: Sweet and floral - heather honey. Fruity - boiled sweets. Palate: Smoky with spicy overtones - tobacco leaf. Hint of sherry. Finish: Dry grass - hay.
	Balmenach 1988 - Connoisseurs Choice - 43% Cask: Refill Sherry Hogsheads. Colour: Pale yellow. Nose: Citrus fruits - lemon and limes with some floral and heather aromas, with a slight spiciness - cinnamon sticks. Palate: Oily and spicy with an initial smoky note. Mellows out to a rich, fruit character with a hint of new leather. Finish: Fruit notes with a hint of malt.
	Balmenach 1975 - Connoisseurs Choice - 43% Cask: First fill sherry casks. Colour: Golden orange. Nose: Rich resinous sherry wood. Burnt fruitcake aromas with spices and hints of hessian. Palate: Sherry wood with hints of smokiness. Green fruity notes present - granny smiths. Finish: Sherry with spicy notes.
	Balmenach 1974 - Connoisseurs Choice - 40% Cask: First Fill and Refill Sherry Casks. Colour: Bright amber. Nose: Rich sherry, sweet white wine - bananas and ripe apples. Hints of dry grass and heather moorland. Palate: A thick, coating sweetness. Sherry with nutty notes and hints of malt, coffee beans and fresh tobacco. Finish: Sherry wood.

Region	Highlands
District	Speyside
Water source	uit de Cromdale Hills
Neighbours	Braeval, The Speyside, Royal Lochnagar
Owner	Inver House Distillers
Manager
Visitor centre	By appointment only.
Address	Cromdale, Grantown-on-Spey Morayshire, PH26 3PF
Phone	+44 (0)1479 872 569
Website	http://www.balblairdistillery.com/distilleries-balmenach.php
History	1824 : established by James McGregor 1922 : sold to DCL 1993 : closed by UDV 1998 : bought by Inver House Distillers (first distillation of the Balmenach 5 year old in March)
House Style	Often sherried, with a spicy, honey character.
Pronunciation	bal-mey-nach
Meaning
Capacity per year	2.000.000 litres
Independent Bottler	Aberfoyle & Knight Cadenhead Gordon & MacPhail Hart Brothers Inverarity
Information	Currently they don't bottle any single malt. (source: InverHouse January 2007). Balmenach distillery is nestled at the bottom of the Haughs of Cromdale in the Spey valley. It was in these hills on the last day of April 1690 that an army of Jacobite soldiers were ambushed by dragoon guards, as the Jacobite forces were ambushed during their sleep many were slain the remaining fled nearly naked, this defeat effectively ended the Jacobite rising in the Highlands. In the early 1800 three brothers crossed these hills from Tomintoul and set up a farm. One of these brothers was a James McGregor who also set up an illicit still on the site. Shortly after the licensing act was introduced James McGregor obtained a license for his distillery formally establishing it in 1824.

	Balmenach - Highland Selection - 27 year old - 46% Bottled in 2001. Colour: Gold. Nose: Sweet, tropical fruit and bananas. Palate: Finish:
	Balmenach 1972 - Highland Selection - 28 year old - 46% Colour: Gold. Nose: Palate: Creamy honey, leather and a touch of peat. Finish: Dry, ginger, syrup, smoked, sulfur.

	Deerstalker (Balmenach) - Aberfoyle & Knight - 12 year old - 40% Chillfiltered. Cask: Sherry. Colour: Nose: Palate: Finish:
	Deerstalker (Balmenach) - Aberfoyle & Knight - 18 year old - 40% Chillfiltered. Cask: Sherry. Colour: Nose: Palate: Finish: