Old Ballantruan

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Old Ballantruan Profile

Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Old Ballantruan is the name for the heavily peated malt produced at Ballindalloch’s Tomintoul distillery. A rare smoky dram among Speyside single malts, with zesty citrus and malty notes, Old Ballantruan is available in no-age-statement and 10-year-old expressions, both of which are bottled without chill filtration and at 50% abv.

The name comes from the old settlement of Ballantruan which is on the west side of Tomintoul Distillery.

Region

Speyside
Production type

Single malt
Produced at

Tomintoul

Old Ballantruan History

Tomintoul distillery was one of a slew of malt plants built across Scotland during the 1960s. Founded in Ballindalloch in 1965 by Hay & MacLeod and W&S Strong, Tomintoul became part of blending house Whyte & Mackay by 1973 and eventually became the first distillery acquired by Angus Dundee Distillers in 2000.

While Tomintoul’s mature whisky is released as a single malt under its own name as well as sold as a filling for blends, a peated variant named Old Ballantruan was introduced in 2005. The smoky brand first appeared as a NAS bottling, which was followed by a 10-year-old expression in 2012.

Timeline

1965 Tomintoul distillery is built by Hay & MacLeod and W&S Strong
1973 The distillery is sold to Whyte & Mackay, which uses the malt as a filling for its blends
2000 Tomintoul distillery is sold to Angus Dundee Distillers
2005 Angus Dundee launches Old Ballantruan, a peated malt produced at Tomintoul
2012 A 10-year-old Old Ballantruan is introduced