Balblair has a history dating back to its founding by the Ross family in 1790. Initially located near Edderton, the distillery relocated to a new site beside the railway line linking Wick to Inverness in 1872. For its first century, the Ross family managed Balblair, after which Alexander Cowan assumed control.

However, like many distilleries at the turn of the 20th century, Balblair faced challenges and was temporarily shuttered in 1911. It remained closed until after World War II when Churchill's call for whisky production, particularly for export to the United States, prompted its revival.

Robert 'Bertie' Cumming, owner of Old Pulteney distillery, acquired the silent Balblair site and operated it until 1970. Subsequently, Canadian distiller Hiram Walker took over before Balblair became part of Allied Distillers. In 1996, the enterprising Inver House acquired the distillery.

Throughout its history, Balblair's bottlings were sporadic, with "Balblair Elements" released in 2000. However, in 2007, Inver House introduced a transformative repackaging of the single malt, adopting a vintage release approach inspired by Glenrothes. This shift, coupled with the exceptional quality of its whisky, elevated Balblair from relative obscurity to prominence.