The Balmenach Distillery sits right on the banks of the Spey River itself — in the heart of Scotch Whisky Central in the Cromdale district.

James MacGregor organized a group of local farmers and small, illegal distillers in and around the town of Tomintoul to form Balmenach in 1824.The famous Excise Tax reform of 1823 had just occurred, and James MacGregor’s merry band became one of the first sanctioned distilleries thereafter.

Glenlivet bought them lock, stock, and literal barrels in 1897. Aside from maintenance, the distillery closed only during World War II when a large number of distilleries reserved resources for the war effort. Since then — also like many of the distilleries in the area — it has been bought, sold, traded, and sold again.

For all of its life, Balmenach has been a production house without its own core brand. But over the years, many independent bottlers and rebranders have issued Balmenach single malt special editions. Their capacity is estimated at a more than respectable 2 million liters per annum.