The Balvenie has announced the release of one of its rarest releases to date, The Balvenie Fifty Collection, a seamless trilogy that represents the interwoven stories of craftsmanship at the Speyside distillery over the last 50 years.
The Balvenie Fifty Collection will see only 125 bottles released annually over the next three years, starting with the First Edition, a unique single cask expression (cask number 8720), aged in a European oak refill butt, filled in 1973 and selected by Malt Master, Kelsey McKechnie. For the Second Edition Kelsey introduces a second American oak hogshead cask filled in 1973 to marry with the first, before adding a third American oak barrel filled in a 1974 cask to the marriage for the final Edition.
The First Edition of The Balvenie Fifty Collection, which is exclusively available in Harrods from the 7th August, showcases the depth and complexity of the spirit influenced by the European oak cask whilst maintaining The Balvenie’s classic sweet honey style, even after fifty years of maturation.
On the nose, expect 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.
Kelsey McKechnie, Malt Master, said: “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.
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.”
The Balvenie craftspeople, led by the former Malter Master David Stewart, came together in 1973 to fill this cask, starting decades of watchful stewardship and marking the beginning of The Balvenie Fifty Collection’s journey. Many of those craftspeople still work for The Balvenie today; through their dedication to the brand’s five rare crafts many new practices in whisky making have been put in place over the last half a century. The discovery of cask finishings being one of the most poignant. Today Kelsey continues this legacy with her approach to marrying and remarrying of casks creating a signature flavour profile across The Balvenie Collection that is complex and unique to each Edition.
The Balvenie Fifty Collection is enhanced further by the exquisite packaging developed by Croglin; a bespoke craft workshop based in Cumbria. 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 First Edition will launch on the 7th August exclusively in Harrods, before being available in select retailers worldwide. The Second Edition and Third Edition will launch in 2025 and The Balvenie Fifty First Edition, ABV 52.3% will be available in the UK exclusively at Harrods from 7th August and globally at select retailers from 12th September 2024.
Tasting Notes:
ABV: 52.3% / Cask Number: 8720
- Nose: Elegant and captivating. Aromas of deep fruits, cassis and candied apricots, layered atop delicate cedar and a warming nutty spice.
- Taste: An exceptional Balvenie. Flavours of caramelised fruits, rich spice and soft vanilla marry together with a delicate ginger spice and citrus zing
