BALVENIE MOVES UPMARKET WITH EXQUISITE RELEASE

 The Balvenie Stories Collection

BALVENIE DISTILLERY

Balvenie distillery shares a massive 12 acre site with Glenfiddich and Kininvie near Dufftown, but makes its whisky in a very different manner to its two siblings. Originally known as Glen Gordon it took the name of the huge (ruined) castle which was located next door. The ‘new’ castle, forlornly derelict in 1893, was turned into its maltings area. When the Balvenie distillery was built in 1892, it was outfitted with second hand stills from the Lagavulin and Glen Albyn distilleries. Balvenie is one of the larger distilleries with eleven, fat, short-necked stills producing a new make character which is notably sweet and honeyed – completely different to both its siblings. The stills are divided across two different still rooms within the facility.

The Balvenie is dedicated to the five rare crafts that are used to create its distinctive taste. It is the only distillery that still grows its own barley, uses traditional floor maltings and keeps both coppersmiths and coopers on site – making The Balvenie one of the most handcrafted of malts. Its floor maltings have been retained and although this only makes up a small percentage (up to 15%) of the total mash, it is believed that it helps contribute character to the new make – the small amount of peat which is burned might help.  

The distillery provided fillings, primarily for the Grant’s Standfast blend, until 1973 when the first official bottling was made. Its continued requirements as a contributor to blends initially restricted its growth as a stand-alone brand (although increasing its cult status). This was eased slightly with the opening of Kininvie in 1990, but it was only with the building of Ailsa Bay that greater stocks were finally made available.

This was one of the first distilleries to introduce a ‘finished’ single malt with the launch in 1993 of Double Wood, which was first aged in ex-Bourbon casks before being given a short period of secondary maturation (aka finishing) in ex-Sherry. This utilisation of different wood types runs through the Balvenie range and it is now one of the fastest-growing single malt brands in the world. Such prowess was immediately recognised at the 2006 International Spirits Challenge, where The Balvenie was awarded gold medals for its Founder’s Reserve 10 Year Old, DoubleWood 12 Year Old, Balvenie New Wood 17 Year Old, PortWood 21 Year Old, Balvenie Thirty and Balvenie Portwood 1991. This is the biggest gold medal haul for any brand in any one year since the competition began.

THE COLLECTION: A COMPENDIUM OF STORIES

The Balvenie Stories range is a collection of single malt whiskies representing tales of character, endeavour and generational knowledge gathered by the craftsmen of The Balvenie Distillery.Each whisky produced by The Balvenie tells a human story, evolving with the protagonists and developing unexpected twists through years of maturation.

One of the original seven stills of Dufftown, Balvenie has been in business since 1892. It’s storied history is full of experimentation, a spirit of curiosity that has been passed down through the generations. Though the distillery boasts an open-minded approach to distilling and maturation, it also maintains a connection with tradition. Today it is one of only seven distilleries in Scotland to operate a floor maltings on-site. It’s not the easiest way to get malted barley, or the cheapest, but having direct control over the raw materials has allowed Balvenie to remain creative. The experiments taking place there today are sure to become the Balvenie stories of tomorrow.

Each whisky is accompanied by an audiobook which brings to life the story behind each expression, through a series of conversations between The Balvenie’s craftsmen and The Balvenie Global Ambassador Gemma Paterson. These conversations were recorded at locations significant to the narrative of each tale, including at The Balvenie Distillery and as far afield as Kelvin Cooperage, Kentucky. Each audiobook concludes with David Stewart and Kelsey McKechnie sharing a dram of some of the very first bottles of The Balvenie Stories with the craftsmen who created the whiskies for buyers to enjoy.

STORY NO.1: BALVENIE THE SWEET TOAST OF AMERICAN OAK 12 YEAR OLD

The story begins in conversation with Ian McDonald at The Balvenie Cooperage, who celebrates his fiftieth year at The Balvenie this year and talks about the unique toasting process that created this whisky and what it is like to mentor generations of apprentices. Tradition plays an important part in Scotch whisky, but experimentation often reaps rewards. This was the case when The Balvenie became the first distillery to introduce a cask finished whisky to its core range – the now famous 12-year-old DoubleWood. It also proved true when apprentice malt master Kelsey McKechnie was inspired to create an intense expression of Balvenie’s sweet and fruity character.

Supported by malt master David C Stewart, she sourced new American oak barrels from Kelvin Cooperage in Louisville Kentucky. These casks would ultimately travel more than 6,000 kilometres to Speyside, where they were given an extra deep toast at Balvenie under the watchful eye of head cooper Ian McDonald. This collaborative process culminated in a rich, buttery dram with intense aromas of vanilla and spice. A fitting contribution to a history of innovation.

£69.64/€81.48/$ 82.26 per litre/75°Proof/43% ABV

STORY NO.2: BALVENIE WEEK OF PEAT 14 YEAR OLD

Speyside isn’t usually associated with peated whiskies. But a trip to the island of Islay inspired Balvenie distillery manager Ian Miller to reappraise the region’s relationship with smoke. He sourced peat from the village of New Pitsligo, an hour east of Dufftown and began experimenting with it in the Balvenie maltings. Through careful trials, he and the rest of the team were able to produce whisky that wrapped the classic distillery character in a blanket of smoke. As a result, the kilns at Balvenie now burn peat for one week a year at the end of the distilling season – hence, the week of peat.

Opening at the very meeting table where the seed of the idea for this whisky was born former Distillery Manager, Ian Millar, goes for a spin with Gemma around The Balvenie and recounts tales from the distillery’s first ever Week of Peat in 2002. After visiting the original field where our farmer grew the first batch of barley that was peated in the malting kiln, Gemma along with Maltman Robbie Gormley and Mashman Brian Webster discuss what it was like to handle the peated malt at the distillery, which was filled with an intense peat reek that drew a crowd like never before!

For David, these expressions recall vintages from when local peat was more commonly used that it is today. ‘With the Weak of Peat we’re going back to the way we used to make The Balvenie,’ he says. ‘I’ve been here a long time, so I sampled the original peated Balvenie we made in the late 1940s, 1950s and early 1960s.’ To say he’s been with the firm a long time is modest, as David holds the honour of being Scotland’s longest serving malt master.

£100.64/€117.75/$121.77 per litre/84.5°Proof/48.3% ABV

STORY NO.3: BALVENIE A DAY OF DARK BARLEY 26 YEAR OLD

Standing in Balvenie distillery courtyard on a dreich day, Maltman Robbie Gormley and Mashman Brian Webster take us back to a wet summer’s day in 1992 when the infamous delivery of dark barley caught the pair off guard. Recounting their years of friendship and night shifts at The Balvenie, Brian and Robbie give us a glimpse through decades spent at the distillery. Gemma is joined by David Stewart and Distillery Ambassador David Mair in the lounge at the Balvenie Visitor Centre to see how the original 14-year-old Roasted Malt has matured further into this new 26-year-old release.

Heavily roasted malt is usually produced for breweries making stout and porter, not distilleries making whisky. But for a short time in 1992, the mash tuns and washbacks at Balvenie were black with dark barley. Even then, the distillery staff knew they were working on something quite different. ‘We did the roasted malt trials to see if we could change something at the point of distillation rather than in the cask. These things do take time – you need patience,’ said David of the decades long experiment.

When Balvenie Roasted Malt was released in 2006, it was the first whisky of its kind. ‘After we released it first in 2006, the question became – how would the whisky mature? What would it become?’ In the ensuing years, the spirit produced during this experimental run matured into a complex expression of the distillery character. ‘It still has that honey, vanilla, citrus flavour from the first fill Bourbon casks,’ David tells us. ‘But you’re also getting something a little bit different, too. There’s a smokiness and an oakiness. It’s a heavier note, with more wood influence. Extra depth.’

The third whisky in the Balvenie Stories collection is a deep, oaky whisky, matured for over a quarter of a century in a first-fill bourbon cask; it has malty aromas of soft brown sugar, vanilla, blossom honey and gentle oak spice. The palate initially offers notes of sweet toffee and tangy orange, slowly developing vanilla, toasted oak and spicy ginger. Very coherent, fresh, tart, citrusy, extremely well balanced, with some rhubarb, kiwi, cider apples, pink grapefruits… And even drizzles of the best petroly Rieslings. Finish: tangy, with a little more pepper and crushed stems. Wonderful freshness.

'Unusually roasted grain tells a brittle tale...' Crafted with an unusual batch of dark, brittle barley in the summer of 1992, this expression has been released as part of The Balvenie Stories series. Bottled free from chill filtration at a strength of 47.8% ABV, this unusual release is described as a heavier Balvenie, flavoured with the richness of over-roasted malted barley, oak, honey, vanilla and citrus notes.

The second edition of this bottle was at a higher ABV of 49.4% ABV.

£921.5/€1078/$1115 per litre/84° Proof/47.8% ABV

STORY NO.4: BALVENIE THE EDGE OF BURNHEAD WOOD 19 YEAR OLD

The inspiration for what would become known as ‘the heather trials’ came to distillery manager Ian Miller when he cracked open a lump of ancient peat and saw evidence of heather inside – 1,000s of years old and still a part of the Scottish landscape. Beginning in the archives, Dave Stewart explains how he found the perfect bouncy, fresh heather to use in the ‘heather trials’. Gemma joins Dave in a drive up to the Edge of Burnhead Wood to see exactly where this story all started. One morning in early-2000, Dave Stewart set out for the edge of Burnhead Wood, just west of Balvenie to gather fresh spring heather, which Ian intended to burn in the malt kilns.

Though it took some experimentation, he was able to produce batches of estate-grown malt that were lightly smoked with heather, each grain infused with new flavours and a unique sense of place. In time, this experimental malt would become part of the first ever expression of The Balvenie made solely with ingredients from the Dufftown estate – local barley, spring water from the Conval Hills, and heather from the edge of Burnhead Wood.

Each member of the team had to get creative when it came to this experiment, and how events at the distillery can sometimes lead to unusual teamwork out of the box! Finally Gemma speaks to Ian Millar, who led the trials. Together they sample a very special dram from this experiment.

Deep amber in colour, the Nose is lively and vibrant; this Balvenie has notes of fig and geranium oil perfectly balanced with fresh herbal undertones reminiscent of green woodland. On the Palate, flavours of honey, cloves and caramelised baked dates are layered on top of delicate citrus and spice. The sweetness reveals an underlying oaky dryness leading up to a lingering, oaky, dried blossom Finish.

 £378.6/€443/$458 per litre/85.2° Proof/48.7% ABV

STORY NO.5: BALVENIE 21 YEAR OLD SECOND RED ROSE STORIES

The red rose is named in honour of Lady Margret Douglas, a late resident of Balvenie castle. After the death of her husband, the 8th Earl of Douglas, ownership of the grounds went to King James II, who it’s said took pity on her plight. In exchange for her continued residence at Balvenie, Margret Douglas was asked to pay an annual rent of one perfect red rose. Though the castle eventually fell to ruin, its name lives on as their stones found new purpose in the building of a distillery on the estate and the red rose remains an important symbol in Dufftown.

To this day, the workers atBalvenie report seeing a green lady who walks the floor maltings at night – causing some to suggest that the fair maid never left her highland home. Just as the distillery keeps the name of the old Balvenie castle alive, so too did malt master David C Stewart seek to preserve the memory of Margret Douglas and that famous red rose.

In the early 2000s, malt master David C Stewart sought to tell this local tale with a very special single malt. The first Balvenie rose was a small release, finished for a short time in Port pipes and sold to visitors at the distillery. It remains a prized bottle among whisky fans, many of whom speculated about the possibility of a future release of this elegant and brightly hued single malt. More than a decade later, David C Stewart set to work bringing the red rose back to Balvenie.

To achieve the appropriate hue he had finished the premier expression in Port pipes, which gave it a beautiful burgundy hue. This was more than practical for a small release. When the time came to produce a second Red Rose years later, suitable infrastructural increased markedly and he sourced Australian Shiraz barriques for the purpose, creating a richly elegant and fruity dram with summery notes of red berry, fresh ripe fruits and spice. It is free from chill filtration and arrives at a strength of 48.1% ABV. It won a Gold in the International Wine & Spirits Competition 2022. A real taste of Dufftown’s history.

£450/€526.5/$544.5 per litre/84° Proof/48.1% ABV

Producer’s tasting notes:

On the Nose, intense ripe fruits combined with robust earthy tones, reveal the mouth-watering fragrance from fresh mango and subtle oak.

On the Palate, there is an initial burst of blackberry and ripe peach sweetness, concealing flavours of vibrant oak and cracked black pepper leaving a gentle woody spice. This oakiness reveals itself in the Finish, in a sumptuous, lingering experience.

STORY NO.6: BALVENIE A TALE OF THE DOG 46 & 42 YEAR OLD

This new expression made its debut in November 2021, inspired by and representing stories told by craftsmen at the distillery in Dufftown, Scotland. The Tale of the Dog 46-year-old was launched globally in 10 travel retail locations, with an RRP of £16,500/€19,300/$19,965 for a 70 cl bottle. Only 34 bottles of The Tale of the Dog 46 Year Old were available for sale exclusively in gobal travel retail locations, drawn from an exclusive single cask. The Tale of the Dog 42 Year Old was not as exclusive, made available at select retailers, is also drawn from an exclusive single cask and tagged at £9,000/€10,530/$10,900 for a 70 cl bottle. Both were finished in Wine casks, surprisingly type unknown, given that David C Stewart was very much around.

The 46 Year Old: The Balvenie ‘Tale of the Dog’ release, is an amazing story which was brought to life in this very rare 46 YO single cask offering available exclusively for travel retail. Beyond its rarity as a single cask offering, Malt Master David Stewart M.B.E and Apprentice Malt Master Kelsey McKechnie, selected this exceptional cask, paying homage to their long serving coppersmith Dennis McBain and his tireless service while revealing a little secret found within their distillery. These were exceptional whiskies from Balvenie showcased to the whisky community through several global partners.

Aged for 46 years, The Tale of the Dog is a smooth and honeyed expression of The Balvenie, perfectly balanced with mouth-watering toffee flavours enveloping a nutty honey spice and a lingering oak finish. The casks chosen come from a time before the industry stopped the practice of ‘dramming’, where workers received drams while at work.

When the ‘dramming’ stopped, the industry also tightened its other regulations, and it became impossible to ‘walk the dog’ from that point on. A fitting tribute to Dennis and The Tale of the Dog, these casks are among the few that might have been visited by a dog back then.

LEGENDARY LIQUID

The story goes that in the early days of Dennis’ apprenticeship, he was given a copper tubing by the distillery manager and was told to flatten it by any means. It was certainly a weird piece of copper tubing that he hadn’t seen before but if your boss is asking you to do something, you get it done. It was only later that he learnt that the copper tubing was in fact a “dipping dog”, a little copper device used by distillery staff to pilfer some whiskies for themselves.

As a young apprentice, fresh to the world of whisky-making, Dennis flattened copper dog would then be put back for its owner to easily find, as a way of calling out the illicit activity and a subtle warning to desist in the future.

Thus, expressions such as ‘taking the dog for a walk’ became common at the distillery, with whomever the copper dog had been sent to, understanding full well that he’d been discovered, but given a second chance.

Storytelling is carried through every aspect of The Tale of the Dog, with its anecdote depicted on the whisky’s packaging. Presented with a replica flattened copper dog, the bottle is encased in a wooden tube wrapped in leather, printed with a bespoke illustration, specific to the liquid, from British artist and printmaker Andy Lovell. Drinkers can listen to the story of The Tale of the Dog via a specially recorded podcast series, featuring the craftspeople behind the expression, as well as The Balvenie Global Ambassador Gemma Paterson. This podcast will be available through Spotify and iTunes and via a QR code tag inside the pack, that drinkers can scan using their smartphones.

The Tale of the Dog is one of the stories people most love hearing about The Balvenie – from a time when one did wonder sometimes if the dogs were taking their share, as well as the angels. These two casks, from 1978 and 1974, are wonderful liquids chosen to represent the story. As both Gemma and David say, “This story captivates people across the world whenever our Ambassadors share it with them. It’s such a heart-warming story about one of our distilleries best loved characters. These two casks, from 1978 and 1974, are wonderful liquids chosen to represent the story.”

On July 27, 2021, a brand new American version of the Balvenie whisky label appeared on the Internet. According to the label, the corresponding whisky is called-The Tale of the Dog Aged 42 Years. It belongs to the Balvenie Stories series.

On November 1, 2021, Balvenie officially launched The Tale of the Dog Aged 42 Years. This whisky tells the story of the first Copper Dog in Cellar No. 24, and the protagonist of the story is the coppersmith Dennis McBain of the Balvenie distillery. On a snowy afternoon more than 60 years ago, the young McBain was still an apprentice coppersmith who had only worked at Balvenie for 9 months. He was alone in the Balvenie Workshop, and then a craftsman walked in and asked him to get a hammer. Then the craftsman handed McBain a copper tube and asked him to knock it flat. From that day on, he knew about the copper dog, and understood that "taking the dog for a walk" actually meant stealing whisky. The copper dog is a small object used to steal whisky from whisky barrels a long time ago. Its main body is a copper tube, one end is welded to closure with a coin, and the other end is blocked with a cork.

In the past, the staff of the distillery who had access to the whisky barrels, or the people who distilled bootleg whisky, would use a copper dog to pinch the whisky from the barrel, then cover it with a cork and put it in the leg of the trousers, or just hang it on the body and carry it around. Because it is made of copper, and like a dog, usually inseparable from human beings, so it is often called a copper dog. More than 60 years ago, the craftsman found a copper dog in the coat pocket of a cellar worker. After McBain knocked it flat, he put it back in the cellar worker's coat. In this way, he warned him: It's better not to do it again. Stealing alcohol, in this way, avoids face-to-face conflicts, saves enough face for the thief, and gives the thief a chance to reform. Later, McBain always took the responsibility to lead tourists to the No. 24 whisky cellar of Balvenie, and used a long tube to drink whisky from the barrel for tourists, but that tube was not very useful. McBain had the idea of using copper dogs to make whisky for tourists. Since then, the first copper dog in cellar No. 24 was born. And "walking the dog" in the No. 24 whisky cellar of Balvenie then became an interesting excursion for tourists to talk about.

Aged for 42 years, The Tale of the Dog is a smooth and honeyed expression of The Balvenie, perfectly balanced with mouth-watering toffee flavours enveloping a nutty honey spice and a lingering oak finish. The casks chosen come from a time before the industry stopped the practice of ‘dramming’, where workers received drams while at work.

There were differences too. The 42 YO had a low ABV of 47% when compared with the 46 YO, which was at 54.7% ABV. They had been distilled and casked in 1979 and 1975 respectively. The 46 YO was for Retail Travel whereas the 42 YO was sold through specific retailers.

STORY NO.7: BALVENIE THE CREATION OF A CLASSIC

                                                              

The Balvenie Creation of a Classic, along with its 46 YO, is also exclusive to travel retail and available across all key markets. Both expressions were created to highlight and bring to life stories told by craftsmen at the Balvenie distillery in Dufftown, Scotland.

The Creation of a Classic celebrates David Stewart’s story and accomplishments. The longest serving malt master in the industry, he pioneered the first cask-finished whisky in 1983, The Balvenie Classic. It was created by transferring Balvenie whisky matured in traditional oak barrels to sweet Oloroso sherry casks. In a PR sell, The Balvenie Distillery claims that its products are built on stories. This is what sets them apart and makes their whisky what it is. Each expression in the Stories range has a distinct narrative as to how it came to be, and each whisky tells its unique tale in liquid form through first-hand recollections of the many characters involved.

The new expression in The Balvenie Stories range brings the Classic story to life, showcasing the same process; the choice of wood, the warehousing, the testing and tasting.This is the only no age statement (NAS) bottling in the range.

Consumers can follow the stories of The Creation of a Classic and The Tale of the Dog via a specially recorded podcast series, featuring the craftspeople behind the expression, as well as The Balvenie Global Ambassador Gemma Paterson. The podcast is available through Spotify and iTunes and via a QR code tag inside The Balvenie Stories packs.

“Probably the finest highland malt whisky.” Those were the words on the first ever bottle of The Balvenie Classic. Malt Master David C Stewart shares the story of how that first expression came to be…

£72/€80/$87/70cl/75° Proof/43% ABV

DAVID STEWART AND GEMMA PATERSON

Back when some of today’s distillery workers were still but loons and quines, he was working on a new creation. It would become the world’s original cask-finished single malt Scotch whisky, the making of which involved maturing the liquid in one cask, before transferring it to finish maturing in another. Success depended on the masterful managing of many different elements: the choice of wood, the warehousing, the testing, and, of course, the tasting.

Surrounded by shelves heaving under the weight of many, many books in The Balvenie’s Dufftown archive, David tells us what happened when he found the ultimate cask combination: American Oak, then sweet Oloroso sherry butts for finishing. “I knew as soon as we took American Oak casks into European sherry oak casks that something different would happen. They bring colour and they add spicy notes. How the Classic was finished back then… well, that led to the PortWood, the Madeira Cask, the Rum Cask, the Peated Cask finishes and so on.” The “so on” he’s referring to is the adoption of cask finishing by a wealth of other Scotch whiskies.

By the freshly-lit fire in the Balvenie Visitors’ Centre on a snowy April afternoon, Eric Stephen, former Warehouse Master, explains: “David would have things in his mind, what he wanted. He’d ask for 30 or 40 samples. Then he’d come back a month or so later to check the liquids. Check, check, check. That’s how the Classic came to be.” And how did the samples make their way to David?

“In a wee wooden box. We still use ’em today, whatever the experiment. Some paid off, some didnae. But the Classic, oh aye, that really did pay off.”

Kelsey McKechnie, apprentice Malt Master, is practising finding the “sweet spot” – the moment when the whisky, with all the complexity of the woods from the casks, tastes just right. She will then work with George Paterson, The Balvenie’s present Warehouse Master, to perfect the finishes of all whiskies. George is responsible for drawing the new Classic, and is the person David C Stewart calls “The main man” in the nosing process. “That’s what I like to hear,” chuckles George, as he tells us, “It’s quite a thing to watch these whiskies progress over all these years…”

Through the gently falling snow to Warehouse 41, where among casks and casks of other liquids, sits a new Classic: aged in American Oak, and then finished, once again, in sherry casks. Does our Malt Master think about the legacy of the first Balvenie Classic? “I don’t really, honestly, think about that sort of thing too much.” He shuffles gently on the spot as he says it. “Some people say ‘Oh David did this, and David did that…’ but I find it a little bit embarrassing.” You can tell he really means it.