Ballindalloch distillery sits in a farm steading dating back to the 1820s, in the grounds of Ballindalloch Castle on the River Avon, and began production in September 2014.1,2,3 It marked the Macpherson-Grant family's return to whisky making.1,2,3 Barley grown on the estate and spirit matured there let the family call it Scotland's first single estate distillery.1,4,5
In late summer 2011 the family looked for a use for old farm buildings at the castle and decided to build a distillery.1,2,3 They wanted to keep the old buildings as far as possible, and construction began that year.
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Water comes from the Garline Springs.1,8 Fermentation takes place in 4 wooden washbacks, where sugary water from the mash becomes a beer called wash.2 Whiskypedia gives a fermentation time of at least 60 hours.2 It has one wash still for the first distillation and one spirit still for the second.1 Steam heats the stills.2 The wash still has a lamp glass shape and the spirit still a ball shape, inspired by stills at Glenkinchie and Talisker.2,9 Worm tubs, not modern shell and tube condensers, turn the vapour back into spirit.2,5,9 In 2016 distillery host Brian Robinson described it as making a heavy Speyside character of spirit.5 All its spirit goes into single malt, Whiskypedia says.2
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