The only distillery to operate within a castle’s grounds and Scotland’s first single-estate distillery, the Ballindalloch Distillery is nestled deep in the beautiful Spey Valley, north-east Scotland, on the Ballindalloch Estate, home to the Macpherson-Grant family since 1546. With several decades of experience, the team at Ballindalloch uses its skills to craft the finest whisky, with traditional attitudes at the heart of all it does.
Ballindalloch has created an exceptional limited edition single malt Scotch whisky crafted to commemorate His Majesty The King Charles III's 75th birthday. It was produced from a single cask reserved for this special occasion.
Ballindalloch Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky 50cl
Ballindalloch Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky Gift Box (Inside)
Distilling on the Ballindalloch Estate dates back to the early 1820s. At that time, a distillery was constructed at Delnashaugh, situated above the junction of the Avon and Spey rivers. Today, it is home to a beautiful, historic Drovers Inn.
Distilling on the Estate was firmly established under the stewardship of Sir George Macpherson-Grant, 3rd Baronet, whose distilling holds a special place in his heart after co-founding the Cragganmore Distillery on the Estate in 1869 and having close association with Robert Hay, who built the Glenfarclas Distillery on the north side of the Estate.
Sir George's final direct involvement with a distillery was building Speyside Distillery in Kingussie, at the foothills of the Cairngorm Mountains, in 1896, shortly before his passing in 1907.
The idea of building a new distillery at Ballindalloch began in the summer of 2011 and was to replace the old steading on the Estate, which was nearly derelict. After realising that a new distillery would be the perfect solution to revamp the old steading and benefit the estate long-term, several conversations took place, and the decision to commit to the building project was taken a year later.
Over the next two years, work was carried out to renovate and fit out the old farmsteading, with the majority of work carried out by a small group of exceptionally skilled craftsmen and businesses within 25 miles of the Estate. The Macpherson-Grant family was committed to using local trades, from the stonework to the slates on the roof, woodwork, and interior decoration.
The team at the Ballindalloch Distillery is known to be highly involved from the outset. The distillery maintains a strong commitment to tradition, and their single-estate nature enables them to manage every aspect of the whisky-making process. From the barley grown at the Ballindalloch Home Farm to the draff fed back to cattle across the Estate and water flowing freely from the Garline Springs, they craft whisky more akin to traditional methods. The Ballindalloch Distillery's construction and opening signify a return to the whisky distilling industry for the Macpherson-Grant family.
The Ballindalloch Distillery prides itself on following traditional methods. It operates an entirely manual process and employs only five staff with several decades of combined experience.
Colin Poppy, Distillery Manager, has more than 16 years of experience in production. He started his career at Auchroisk and later moved to Knockando. Colin is responsible for overseeing all aspects of production, from the first mash in September 2014, before the distillery was officially opened, to the selection of casks today. He lays the foundation and progression of Ballindalloch's spirit character. He naturally embraces the science of whisky making and is committed to producing an exceptional spirit that fits the profile required for their long-term maturation plan.
The Macpherson-Grant family is a unique distillery that stands out from others in the industry. Unlike most new distilleries that produce gin or young whisky, they have chosen to wait between 8 and 10 years before bottling their mature whisky. As a result, their private cask collection is highly exclusive. If you're fortunate enough to try one of their releases, ensure you don't miss out on the opportunity to secure your exclusive bottle!
TRH's The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall (known as The Duke and Duchess of Rothesay in Scotland) opened the new Ballindalloch Distillery on the 16th of April, 2015, after three years of renovation.
During the royal opening, the Duke and Duchess toured the distillery, viewed the copper stills, and closed their own whisky cask, numbered 174.
This cask was the one used to create a limited edition of Ballindalloch Single Malt Scotch Whisky, bottled on the 14th of November, 2023, especially for His Majesty's 75th birthday. As per the family's tradition, the whisky was aged for eight years before being bottled, making it the perfect time to create a unique whisky edition for this historic royal event.
Classic and bright, this golden Speyside malt whisky has mellow notes of vanilla and summer fruits with a hint of ginger at the finish.
Each bottle is numbered and presented in a beautiful presentation box featuring a beautiful watercolour by HM King Charles III of the Stiric, with Long Ridge to its east, from Creap-na-Leachda, Balmoral.
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