Contents
Producer of one of the best varieties of scotch, received the highest rating (100 points) from the creator of Whiskey Bible Jim Murray, the founder of the “after-aging” technology and the winner of numerous industry awards, the Balveni brand never ceases to delight fans with excellent quality and taste.
famous brands of whiskey
History of the Balveni brand
The merit of creating one of the brightest Scottish single molts belongs to the legendary man – William Grant. Having started his career as a simple accountant at a little-known factory, the hardworking entrepreneur managed to reach unprecedented heights and remained in the memory of his descendants as a model of unbending spirit and purposefulness.
Having built his own distillery literally “on a stone”, the ambitious Scot set himself the task of not just making money, but creating “the best whiskey in the Spey Valley”. And he succeeded.
First there were Glenfiddich single malt spirits and Grant’s blended scotch in branded triangular bottles, and after the construction of the second plant in 1892, the first samples of The Balvenie saw the light of day. At first they were used to create blends, and only a few decades later they began to be produced as separate drinks.
The new distillery, like the whiskey produced on it, got its name from the abandoned castle bought by the Grant family, which became the basis for the enterprise. Having realized his dream and made a name for the brand, William passed away, passing the business to his sons.
A new era in the history of The Balvenie distillery began in 1962, when a young auxiliary worker David Stewart appeared on its territory. At that time, the future master of the brand was only 17 years old, and he hardly hoped to become famous as the creator of new technologies. However, a few years later, David began a revolutionary experiment with aging whiskey in different types of barrels, which resulted in the birth of one of the best single malt scotches in 1983 – “The Balvenie Classic”.
The great master worked at the Grants family distillery for more than half a century, and during this time he brought her many significant awards.
single malt whiskey
Features of the production of whiskey Balveni
The creation of the unique character of Balveni is based on 5 principles that have been strictly observed for many decades:
Use of “house” barley. The grain for making malt is grown on our own farm with minimal impact of modern technology.
Traditional processing of malt. Before drying in the oven, the wet grain mass is placed on the floor and turned over by hand until it is ready for further processing.
Special design of copper cubes. The distillation equipment at the enterprise has practically not changed since its foundation. The unique spherical shape of cubes with an elongated thin neck is also reflected in the design of the branded bottle.
Preparation of barrels at our own cooperage. Masters working with oak containers have been mastering the craft of firing for many years. The special properties of wood provide Balveni drinks with characteristic caramel tones and sweetness.
Careful selection of spirits. The chief master of Balveni, relying on professional intuition and characteristics of distillates, determines the period and type of exposure for each of them.
Overview of tastes and types of Balveny
The Balvenie main line includes 4 aged single malts created by David Stewart:
DoubleWood aged 12 year old
For the maturation of a multi-layered drink, 2 types of barrels are used: from bourbon and from sherry.
The aroma contains fruity and honey-vanilla notes.
Taste: smooth, soft, combining nutty sweetness, cinnamon spice and delicate shades of sherry.
Finish: long, warming.
DoubleWood 17 year old
Aging in different types of containers gave birth to this rich, complex scotch.
American oak influence is felt in soft vanilla notes, sherry casks provide spicy aroma and deep taste.
Main tones: honey, green apple, creamy toffee, dried fruits, spices, toasted almonds and cinnamon.
Caribbean Cask 14 year old
Single malt whiskey with a smooth, honey character, matured in Caribbean rum casks.
Aroma: rich, sweet, with hints of toffee and fruit.
Taste: rounded, vanilla-oak, with a lingering warm plume.
PortWood 21 year old
One of the brand’s best drinks, aged in port wine barrels.
The aroma combines fruity, raisin and nut tones.
Taste: refined, creamy, silky, with honey and spicy notes.
Also under the brand “The Balvenie” series are released
Rare & Precious
Rare collectible drinks aged 30-50 years.
Travel Retail
Exclusive range for duty free shops.
From the Tun
A limited collection of scotch tapes created from spirits of various degrees and types of exposure.
Single Barrel
Special drinks, each selected by David Stewart from a specific cask.
whiskey cocktails
Relevance: 17.04.2019
Tags: Whiskey and bourbon, Scotch brands