Dawn of a new era with new Balblair collection

Highland distillery Balblair has today unveiled its plans to release a new collection of age-statement single malt Scotch whiskies.

These will be available in the UK this month and rolled out globally from April 2019.

The new series features four whiskies, each meticulously hand selected, all of which retain the distillery’s unmistakable true Highland character and will replace all existing Balblair expressions.

The core collection includes:

• 12-Year-Old – matured in American oak ex-bourbon and double-fired American oak casks, with notes of dried orange, ground spices and sweet vanilla. (RRP £45)
• 15-Year-Old – matured initially in American oak ex-bourbon casks, followed by first-fill Spanish oak butts, with notes of dark chocolate, tropical fruit and creamy vanilla. (RRP £75)
• 18-Year-Old – matured initially in American oak ex-bourbon casks, followed by first-fill Spanish oak butts, with notes of juicy apricots, vanilla custard and raisins. (RRP £120)
• 25-Year-Old – matured initially in American oak ex-bourbon casks then reshaped in Oloroso Spanish oak, with notes of oily citrus, chocolate praline, fresh tobacco leaf and blood oranges. (RRP £500)

In a move away from the distillery’s current ‘vintage-only’ approach, the launch of this collection signals a new era for Balblair. While each expression offers its own unique appeal, the series as a whole stays true to Balblair’s house style, following a gentle and considered approach with its focus firmly on quality over quantity – an attribute Balblair has become renowned for.

The Balblair 25

John MacDonald, distillery manager at Balblair, said: ‘As one of the oldest working distilleries in the Scottish Highlands, Balblair has a long and rich history of crafting premium single malt Scotch whisky.

‘We are proud of our heritage and we will continue to honour our centuries-old traditions, but we also look forward in a quiet pursuit of perfection.

‘Our new collection is intrinsically linked to our heritage and is testament to the place and the people behind our whisky, while being emblematic of our “True Highland Spirit”.’

Inspired by Balblair’s rich past, the packaging for the new collection is reflective of the distillery’s unique and idyllic location. It takes subtle cues from the surrounding landscape: its pure Highland water source and the Pictish ‘Z-rod’ carvings etched on the ancient Clach Biorach standing stone located on the distillery’s doorstep. A larger logo area and new label font has also been incorporated into the design to create greater on-shelf brand visibility.

John MacDonald, distillery manager at Balblair

Matthew Jamieson, brand manager for Balblair, added: ‘Our whisky isn’t changing: Balblair will always be a single malt Scotch whisky of premium quality, with a true Highland strength of character.

‘We’re immensely proud of our new collection and confident that the flavour profiles, along with super-premium packaging, will reinvigorate Balblair and excite consumers. We look forward to sharing it with our growing, global community.’

The core collection launches in the UK on 28 March, followed by other global markets including Russia, France, Germany and China from April 2019.

It will be available online, and distributed exclusively through independent and specialist retail outlets.

For more information visit www.balblair.com.