🥃 Blair Athol
Blair Athol is a Highland single malt Scotch distillery in Pitlochry, Perthshire, producing whisky since 1798 according to Diageo's Malts site; it shapes the character of Bell's blend.
Blair Athol is a Highland single malt Scotch whisky from Pitlochry in Perthshire, a name that malt lovers in the UK and beyond meet both as a single malt and as the heart of a famous blend. According to Diageo's Malts site, the distillery has produced Scotch whisky there since 1798. It is known for its rich, full-bodied Highland single malt and for its role in shaping the character of Bell's blended Scotch.
Visiting. The distillery has a visitor centre on Perth Road in Pitlochry with guided tours and tastings, including the Signature Tour, the Allt Dour Tour and Beyond the Cask.
Why this matters to you. Single malt Scotch is made at one distillery from water and malted barley in pot stills, matured for at least 3 years in oak casks of up to 700 litres and bottled at 40% ABV (80 proof) or more. The WHO states that there is no safe amount of alcohol for health.
Facts
| Year founded | producing Scotch whisky in Pitlochry since 1798, according to Diageo's Malts site |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2890) (Single Malt Scotch Whisky) |
| Minimum maturation | at least 3 years in oak casks by law |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | at least 40% vol. by law |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Blair Athol → kind of → 🥃 Whisky → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Previous step
- 🥃 Diageo
- Packed in
- 🍷 Oak barrel, 🍷 Sherry, 🥃 Ex-bourbon barrel
- Made from
- 🥃 Barley and malt in whisky
- What is made from it
- 🥃 Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve
- What it contains
- 🧪 Water, 🍷 Ethanol
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Traditions
- 🧑🤝🧑 British
- Part of
- 🥃 Whisky, 🥃 Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 🥃 Scotch Whisky, 🥃 Highland whisky
- Related to
- 🌍 Western Europe
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Bell's
Frequently asked questions
Since when has Blair Athol produced whisky?
Since 1798, according to Diageo's Malts site.
Where is Blair Athol distillery and can you visit?
In Pitlochry, Perthshire, on Perth Road. There is a visitor centre with guided tours and tastings: the Signature Tour, the Allt Dour Tour and Beyond the Cask.
Is Blair Athol part of Bell's blended Scotch?
The Malts site says the distillery helps shape the character of Bell's blended Scotch, and Blair Athol is also sold as a Highland single malt.
What makes it a single malt Scotch?
It is made at one distillery from water and malted barley in pot stills, matured in Scotland for at least 3 years in oak casks of up to 700 litres.
What is the minimum ABV of Blair Athol, and what is that in proof?
By law Scotch must be bottled at no less than 40% ABV, which is 80 proof in the US system.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Ethanol — The alcohol formed during fermentation that makes you drunk.
- 🍷 Oak barrel — A wooden vessel made of oak staves in which wine matures, picks up new aromas and slowly takes in air.
- 🍷 Sherry — Protected wine from the Jerez de la Frontera area of Andalusia, aged in oak casks in the solera system; 14 to 22 % alcohol.
- 🌍 Western Europe — France, the Netherlands, Britain, Ireland, Belgium and Luxembourg: a mild, moist climate, pastures and hundreds of cheeses such as Roquefort, Camembert, Gouda and Cheddar.
Similar
🥃 Royal Lochnagar · 🥃 Glenglassaugh · 🥃 Benrinnes · 🥃 Ben Nevis · 🥃 Teaninich · 🥃 Auchroisk
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- Malts.com (Diageo): Blair Athol Distillery & Visitor Centre (Pitlochry, Perthshire; producing Scotch whisky since 1798; rich, full-bodied Highland single malt; role in Bell's blended Scotch; tours)
- The Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2890), reg. 3: definition and categories of Scotch Whisky (Scotland, oak up to 700 l, min. 3 years, min. 40 % ABV; single malt: one distillery, water and malted barley, pot stills)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)