Blair Athol distillery

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Blair Athol distillery
Region: Highland
LocationPitlochry
OwnerDiageo
Founded1798
StatusOperational
Water sourceAllt Dour Burn
No. of stills2 wash stills (13,000 liters)
2 spirit stills (12,000 liters)[1]
Capacity2,500,000 litres
MothballedSoon after 1798 to 1825
1932 to 1949
Blair Athol 12
TypeSingle malt
Age(s)12 Years
ABV43%

Blair Athol distillery is a single malt whisky distillery in Scotland. It is used in Bell's whisky, and is also normally available in a 12-year-old bottling.[2] The distillery is located on the south edge of Pitlochry in Perthshire, near the River Tummel.[2]

History[edit]

The distillery was founded in 1798 by John Steward and Robert Robertson,[3] originally named 'Aldour', after the Allt Dour burn the distillery draws it water from, but closed soon[when?] after opening.[4] The distillery opened again and changed ownership to John Robertson in 1825.[3]

It was sold several times in the period after, going from John Robertson to Alexander Conacher & Co., then to John Conacher & Co, which was inherited by Elizabeth Conacher in 1860. It was sold again to Peter Fraser & Co, and again to Peter Mackenzie of P. McKenzie & Co Distillers Limited in 1882.[3][4]

The distillery closed down in 1932. The mothballed distillery was bought by Arthur Bell and Sons, but didn't open again until it was rebuilt in 1949.[3] In 1973 the distillery expanded, adding two further stills to the previous two.[3]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Blair Athol on Whisky.com
  2. ^ a b Jackson, Michael (May 2004). Malt Whisky Companion (5th ed.). London: Dorling Kindersley. ISBN 978-1-4053-0234-0. OCLC 60383343.
  3. ^ a b c d e Helen Arthur (2002) [1997]. The single malt companion (in Dutch). Lisbeth Machielsen (trans.). Libero. p. 77. ISBN 978-90-5764-236-4.
  4. ^ a b Johannes van den Heuvel. "Blair Athol distillery profile". Malt madness. Archived from the original on 9 April 2012. Retrieved 9 April 2012.

External links[edit]

Media related to Blair Athol distillery at Wikimedia Commons

56°41′54.5″N 3°43′15.0″W / 56.698472°N 3.720833°W / 56.698472; -3.720833 (Blair Athol Distillery)