The Balvenie 60yo - the oldest whisky from this distillery
When young David Stewart began working at the Balvenie distillery in 1962, no one could have imagined that this was the beginning of a stunning career, destined to last as long as six decades and bring both international fame to the newcomer and widespread recognition of the Balvenie brand among Scotch whisky connoisseurs around the world.
Those six decades are embodied in the extraordinary whiskey that the distillery bottled this year in an extremely limited number of 71 bottles. The Balvenie 60yo (42.4% vol.), as it is referred to, is a whisky distilled in that memorable 1962 and matured in a single European oak hogshead cask. At the same time, it is the oldest whisky ever bottled under the brand The Balvenie. Individually numbered bottles, offered in an extremely carefully crafted presentation, in glass, gold and brass, decorated with episodes from David Stewart's long career. In addition to the autograph of the master himself, the bottle's label also included the signature of Kelsey McKechnie, who in 2018 became David Stewart's assistant and journeyman maltster.
According to the tasting note, prepared by Kelsey, in the aroma of Balvenie 60yo we should find touches of autumn - lavender, heather, mosses and ferns. In the taste, intense notes of toffee, freshly roasted coffee beans and perfectly integrated oak. As befits a top-notch Balvenie, the taste undergoes evolution on the palate, also serving notes of clove and nutmeg. Extremely long finish is a symphony of roasted oak and candied orange notes.
The Balvenie 60yo is available at the House of Whisky Online, which we consider both a success - it was not at all easy to get this bottle, one of only 71 - and a considerable honor. The bottle with the number 43 can become a decoration of the most exquisite collection. Please visit.
The Balvenie distillery is the second child of William Grant, founder of Glenfiddich, and to put it in perspective, the family company still owns both of these two malt whisky plants, as well as Kininvie, Ailsa Bay and Girvan grain distilleries. Despite the enormous size to which the family business has grown, William Grant & Sons continues to maintain a healthy balance between family and corporate character, making it a unique case.
Established in 1892, the distillery has maintained its traditional operations to this day. It is one of literally a handful of Scottish whisky makers that have retained a working traditional floor malt house, as well as maintaining their own cooperage facility. Situated right next to Glenfiddich, the distillery also serves Kininvie in a sense. Indeed, the Balvenie buildings house the mash vat and fermentation vats of this distillery, founded in 1990.
Balvenie was one of the forerunners of the so-called wood finish technique commonly used today, that is, additional maturation of whisky in casks of a different type than those used for primary maturation. Released in 1993, the Balvenie 12yo DoubleWood was one of the first widely available editions matured in this way.
Located in Dufftown, in the heart of the Speyside region, Balvenie is one of Scotland's malt whisky factories that are open to the public. In it, you can take a look at the whiskey production process - from malting barley to maturation in the bonded warehouses, as well as watch a team of coopers at work, and taste whiskey directly from the barrel, in one of the distillery's warehouses.
In addition to the unusual edition described above, the current offer of the House of Whisky Online includes a wide range of whiskies from the distillery - from so-called daily drams to extremely sophisticated, old and collectible specimens, culminating in a The Balvenie 60yo.
[25.10.2023 / photo: House of Whisky Online]