THE BALVENIE - 12 years old - Double Wood Single Malt - 40%
The Balvenie Distillery is located in the region of Speyside , Scotland . It is one of three distilleries on the Dufftown site of William Grant , along with Glenfiddich and Kininvie. After about twenty years, Grant quit his job at the Mortlach distillery and bought a field near Balvenie Castle. He drew up the plans for his distillery and the first stone was laid in the fall of 1886. At the beginning of 1892, the work to transform an 18th century manor (Balvenie New House) into a distillery began. After 15 months, on May 1, 1893, the first distillation took place at the Balvenie distillery. The three distilleries at the Dufftown site use the same water and the same malt and have very similar production methods, but produce three very identifiable malts. For much of its history Balvenie served primarily as a source for William Grant's blends, but more recently production has focused on demand for its Single Malt, with only a small proportion going into the blend of Monkey Shoulder. The distillery is known for its range of finished expressions in different types of wood.
Balvenie's Malt Master is David C. Stewart MBE. He started working at The Balvenie distillery in 1962, aged just 17, and dedicated 54 years of his life to the Scotch whiskey industry. His pioneering techniques have had a profound impact on the production methods used today; he is renowned for his innovative work, particularly around “ barrel finishes ”. In 2016 David was awarded an MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
The 12-year-old Balvenie DoubleWood is first aged in traditional casks (old barrels and Bourbon casks in American oak) then transferred to Oloroso sherry casks for 9 months. It is then refined in large oak barrels (tuns) for 3 to 4 months.
Not peated
