The Balvenie®

Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Written by Brian Donnelly, CSS, WSET III

Parent Company: William Grant & Sons

Distillery Location: Dufftown, Speyside, Scotland

Established: 1892

Malt Master: David Steward 

History

The Balvenie Distillery has been family owned and ran, since it was founded in 1892. The distillery was the second built by William Grant and his family, and is just a short walk from the Glenfiddich Distillery in Dufftown. The Balvenie Distillery maintains a unique craftsmanship, which attrubutates to the exceptional quality of the whiskies producted there. Nowhere else can one find a distillery that stills grows its own barley, uses traditional hand-turned floor malting, employs a team of on-site coopers to tend to the casks, a coopersmith to maintain its stills, and finally has the longest tenure Malt Master with 59 years of experience. As he has for over half a century, Malt Master David Stewart, presides over every aspect of the maturation process, making alchemy out of spirit, wood, and time. 

Water

Natural Scottish spring water from the Robbie Dhu Spring throughout its entire production process Balvenie® is one of two Highland distilleries (the other being Glenfiddich®) that use the same water source from start to finish, through mashing, fermentation, distillation, and bottling. We use the Robbie Dhu Springs to dilute down to bottling proof, while other distilleries use water supplied by the bottling factories. Balvenie® pioneered the single malt category around 1963 and brought single malt to the world.

The Balvenie® 12 Year Old Double Wood

First released in 1993, this whisky is matured 12 years in American Ex-Bourbon barrels, and finished for 9 months in first-fill Oloroso Sherry butts. The whisky is then transferred to large oak vessels called “tuns” for 4 months to allow the whiskies from individual casks to “marry.”

80 Proof (40% ABV)

The Balvenie® 14 Year Old Caribbean Cask

First released in 2010, this whisky is matured 14 years in American Ex-Bourbon barrels, and finished for 6 to 9 months in Carribean rum casks. In order to create his ideal cask finish, David Steward fills American oak barrels with his own blend of select Carribean rum. Once he determines the casks to be ready, he replaces the aging rum with the 14 year old single malt whisky, and lets the seasoned casks create a unique finish.

86 Proof (43% ABV)

The Balvenie® 17 Year Old Double Wood

Launched in 2010 to mark the 50th anniversary of Malt Master David Steward tenure at the distillery. This whisky is matured 17 years in American Ex-Bourbon barrels, and finished for 6 to 9 months in Sherry butts. This line extension offers an elder sibling and trade up option to the 12 year Double Wood.

86 Proof (43% ABV)

The Balvenie® 21 Year Old Portwood

This whisky is matured for 21 years in American Ex-Bourbon barrels, and then this rare whisky is cask finished for 4 months in Tawny Port pipes.

95 Proof (47.6% ABV)

The Balvenie® 30 Year Old

This whisky is matured for 30 years in traditional oak whisky casks and Ex-Sherry European Oak casks, which has been aging for a minimum of 30 years.

94.6 Proof (47.3% ABV)

The Balvenie® 40 Year Old

This whisky is matured in traditional oak casks and Ex-Sherry European Oak butts, which have been aging for a minimum of 40 years.

97 Proof (48.5% ABV)

The Balvenie® 50 Year Old

David Stewart skillfully marries four 50 year old casks, which are some of the oldest and rarest casks at the distillery. Each cask has a unique taste and alcohol content, which puts to the test all of Stewart’s still and expertise.

85.6 Proof (42.8% ABV) Non-chill Filtered and Natural Color

The contents, statements, and thoughts expressed on this site are purely my own and do not officially represent the opinions of any supplier, brand, or distillery. All brand names are the official copy right of their respective parent company, and I do not own the right to any of the included brands on this website. Any mistakes made on this website are purely my own.

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