A Visit to Blair Athol
So, I'm going to come clean here...until last week I knew next to nothing about Blair Athol. I knew they were a Diageo owned distillery and I knew that they were an important part of the Bell's Blend but that was about it. However, as I was in the area, popping in to find out more (and get another stamp in my "Friends of Clasic Malts Passport") was an opportunity I couldn't miss! Blair Athol is one of the oldest distilleries in Scotland and stands in a lovely spot on the outskirts of the charming Pitlochry in the central Highlands region. We had a lovely drive across in the snow, down winding country roads and passing a frozen lake or two. When we finally arrived we were not disappointed! The distillery buildings are charming and our tour started in the original malting floor (long since defunct) before moving through the normal stages of the process. The distillery has a lauter mash tun, 6 stainless steel wash backs (they replaced the wood ones a few year