Balblair is one of Scotland's oldest and most beautiful distilleries. Built in 1790, its founder was John Ross. Like many single malt whiskies, it was only known to local farmers until relatively recently, but now it has received the brand's full cultivation and promotion—though belatedly, because it indeed deserves such attention. The distillery's current location is some distance from its original site, now situated about 6 miles from the town of Tain, backed by the Dornoch Firth. It was built around 1872 and expanded in 1894 (although it remains a small-volume distillery), taking advantage of the newly constructed railway line between Inverness and Wick. Balblair was managed by members of the Ross family for over a century. They also leased the Brora and Pollo distilleries from the Duke of Sutherland, the latter being where Andrew Ross relocated in 1896 (the distillery is located south of Tain and closed in 1903). After Balblair ceased production, it was converted into a manor house. Alexander Cowan became its tenant and was compelled to rebuild it. He went bankrupt in 1911, and the distillery closed with it until 1947, when a lawyer from Banff, Robert Cumming (known as Bertie, who also owned Pulteney Distillery), purchased the distillery. In 1964, Cumming expanded the distillery, constructed additional warehouses, and converted from direct-fire distillation to indirect heating. In 1970, he sold the distillery to Canada's Hiram Walker-Gooderham & Worts and retired. Balblair then passed to Allied ownership (1988). The latter sold it to the current owner, Inver House, in 1996. Inver House was acquired by ThaiBev plc, Southeast Asia's largest spirits company, in 2001, and merged into the company's InterBev in 2006.

Balblair Distillery is said to possess Scotland's purest air in the Eden Valley, inspiring their "Elements" expression. The new packaging features Clach Biorach ("Sharp Stone"), a Neolithic stone circle near Eadar Dun (the Gaelic name for Balblair) that serves as a community gathering place and has been adopted by the "Friends of Balblair" fan club. Founded and managed by the Ross family for generations, the distillery currently employs four Ross family members out of nine total staff. Charles MacLean, in his typically reserved manner, described Balblair in "Scotch Whisky: A Liquid History" as "one of the most attractive small distilleries" in existence. In March 2007, Glasgow's Curious Group redesigned the brand's elegant packaging. The distillery also appeared in Ken Loach's award-winning film "The Angels' Share" during the auction scene for rare "Malt Mill" whisky (see "Lagavulin").