Balmenach

Balmenach lies near the village of Cromdale, close to Grantown-on-Spey on the eastern edge of Speyside. The distillery dates from 1824, when the MacGregor family took out a licence, and it is one of the older working distilleries in the region. It was mothballed in the 1990s and brought back into production by Inver House Distillers, its current owner. The site is also home to Caorunn gin.

The spirit is condensed in traditional worm tubs, coiled copper pipes in cold water outside the stillhouse. This gives less copper contact than modern condensers and leads to a heavier, more robust, sometimes meaty new make. It takes well to sherry casks, which is why many bottlers choose them.

Official bottlings are rare, and most of the whisky goes into blends. Buyers usually meet Balmenach through independents: Gordon & MacPhail (Connoisseurs Choice), Douglas Laing (Provenance, Old Particular), Hunter Laing (The First Editions) and its Langside label (Hepburn's Choice), Alistair Walker (Infrequent Flyers), Murray McDavid, Signatory Vintage, Darkness and Berry Bros. & Rudd.

Most of these are younger single casks of 8 to 15 years, which makes Balmenach an affordable way to explore a traditional, full-bodied Speyside style.