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We could tell straight away this was a heavier and oilier type of distillate. Lots of initial aromas of rapeseed oils, mechanical tool box rags, hessian cloth, olive oil and liquorice. Some dark fruit beers, black tea, red apple skins and dried cranberry. Water brought hints of wine must, lemon cough drops, myrtle, hawthorne and mustard power warmth. The palate maintained this sense of weight with notes of chopped dates, cinder toffee, aniseed sweets and heather honey cake. Also putty and waxiness. Water brought an elegant leathery note, along with plum wine, fir wood resins and more aniseed notes that included liquorice and some herbal liqueurs. Matured for 13 years in a bourbon hogshead before being transferred to a 1st fill American oak oloroso sherry hogshead.
About Balmenach
Situated a mile inland from the village of Cromdale, Balmenach is one of Speyside’s most traditional distilleries and makes what could be classed as an ‘old-style’ whisky.
The fermentation is long, the stills relatively small and run quickly, and the vapour runs into worm tubs, rather than shell and tube condensers. This helps to produce a slow-maturing new make character which is rich and meaty, ideal for adding weight and grunt to blends, and also to be a good match with ex-Sherry casks.
Inver House has no plans to release this highly distinctive whisky as a single malt. The reason for this is that the make – whose style is unusual these days – is too highly-prized as fillings for blends, both by Inver House and other firms.
This is an old distillery. James MacGregor took out his licence in 1824 on what was a farm after a period of illicit production. According to Robert Bruce Lockhart, this took place soon after MacGregor had received a visit from a local gauger. When asked what a specific farm building contained, he said it was simply a peat shed. “Well, I suggest you take out a licence for it,” replied the gauger. Bruce Lockhart was related to the MacGregors and his highly recommended book, Scotch, contains many fascinating details about old-style distillation as practised in Cromdale. The distillery eventually passed into the hands of Scotch Malt Distillers, DCL’s malt production arm, which expanded the plant to include a Saladin maltings. It was briefly mothballed between 1993 and 1997, when it was sold to current owner, Inver House, which also produces Caorunn Gin here.
