The Balvenie Distillery in Speyside is celebrating 50 years of exceptional craftsmanship with a limited-release trilogy of extremely rare single malt scotch whiskies. The first bottle in the collection is now available exclusively from Harrods for an RRP of £42,500 (~$54,075).
The Balvenie Fifty Collection
The Balvenie Fifty Collection will consist of just 375 bottles that will be released annually (125 per year) from August 7th, 2024 until the end of 2026. The First Edition is a 1973 vintage Balvenie whisky, matured in a European oak refill butt for 50 years and bottled from the single cask #8720. It has been hand-selected by Balvenie’s Malt Master, Kelsey McKechnie.
In 2025, the Second Edition will be released. It will comprise a marriage of whisky from the First Edition cask with a 1973 vintage American oak hogshead.
Finally, in 2026, the Final Edition will be released: a vatting of whiskies from the First and Second Edition casks as well as a 1974 American oak barrel.
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These rare whiskies will be housed in stunning glass bottles and packaging designed by Cumbrian craft workshop, Croglin. According to the official press release: “Each presentation contains over 100 different elements, including four layers of wood in the helix structure with a tolerance for error of less than 1/10th of a millimetre, and a beautifully crafted 14 carat gold plated brass display.”
The Balvenie Fifty Collection First Edition
The First Edition of The Balvenie Fifty Collection (52.3% ABV) will be available from today (August 7th) exclusively at Harrods in London. From September 12th, 2024, the First Edition will also be available via selected global retailers.
Tasting notes for the 50 Year Old Balvenie feature, “aromas of deep fruits, cassis and candied apricots, layered atop delicate cedar and a warming nutty spice. On the palate the whisky presents flavours of caramelised fruits, rich spice and soft vanilla, which marry together with a delicate ginger spice and citrus zing.”
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Fifty Years of Craftsmanship
For much of its history, The Balvenie Distillery provided single malts for blends such as Grant’s. However, in 1973 under the stewardship of Malt Master David Stewart, The Balvenie was officially bottled as a single malt for the first time. In addition, David Stewart oversaw the filling of the three rare casks that are being bottled for The Balvenie Fifty Collection.
Since then, the brand has become synonymous with luxury scotch whisky, thanks to bottlings such as the Vintage Casks and the famous Balvenie 1937 50 Year Old by Milroy’s of Soho.
The Balvenie Fifty Collection pays tribute to the wonderful workers at the distillery whose hard work and dedication has allowed for continued growth and experimentation at the Speyside plant. In particular, The Balvenie has experimented with a variety of cask finishes such as Port Wood, Caribbean Cask, and French Oak. The distillery has also recently expanded the Stories Range with two interesting cask finishes.
Malt Master Kelsey McKechnie has steered The Balvenie through much of these innovations, and has a particular passion for marrying and remarrying casks of whisky to bring forth the signature Balvenie profile.
“Each Edition in this collection is a testament to the craftsmanship that has defined our liquid over the past 50 years. The unique characteristics of these rare casks come together to create a truly exceptional experience and set a new benchmark for our contribution to the rare and extraordinary whisky market at Balvenie,” says McKechnie. “Using a refill butt for the First Edition in this collection provides us with a distinctive flavour thread that will run through our next two releases, demonstrating the spectrum of flavours and aromas in our aged spirit. It is a celebration of our legacy, our passion, and our unwavering commitment to producing some of the finest whiskies in the world.”
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