The Balvenie has announced the launch of a single-cask bottling to celebrate its malt master David C. Stewart's 60th anniversary with the distillery.
The Balvenie Sixty, bottled from a single cask filled in 1962, is the distillery's oldest and rarest release for sale to date with only 71 bottles being made available globally.
It is a fitting celebration for Stewart, one of the longest-serving members of the Scotch whisky industry and a pioneer of techniques now widely used in whisky making, including his developments in cask finishing. Known and revered by whisky lovers and distillers around the world, Stewart was made a Member of the British Empire (MBE) in 2016 for his contribution to the Scotch whisky industry.
The single cask for The Balvenie Sixty was selected by Kelsey McKechnie, the distillery's apprentice malt master who has been mentored by Stewart for the past four years. She said: "I have learned so much from David at work. His mentorship has made a profound impact on me and finding a cask to fit such an incredible character in the distillery’s history is a great honour."
McKechnie described the whisky as having "autumnal aromas" and a palate of toffee, coffee and oak, with clove and orange peel notes in the finish.
Stewart said: “[When] I started at the distillery in 1962, as a whisky stocks clerk, this liquid, a new-make spirit, was filled into a collection of traditional European oak hogshead casks. For six decades it has rested and matured, now marking quite a poignant moment for me on my journey.’’
The tube casing for The Balvenie Sixty comprises five layers, each etched with personal anecdotes from influential individuals in Stewart's whisky journey. The bottle is made from hand-blown crystal and features a quote from McKechnie, representing the current decade and future generations of The Balvenie.
More information about The Balvenie Sixty can be found at www.thebalvenie.com.
Stewart's milestone in the whisky industry follows celebrations – and an incredibly rare whisky release – in 2021 to mark the 60th anniversary in whisky of Dennis Malcolm, master distiller at fellow Speyside distillery Glen Grant.
The Balvenie Sixty, bottled from a single cask filled in 1962, is the distillery's oldest and rarest release for sale to date with only 71 bottles being made available globally.
It is a fitting celebration for Stewart, one of the longest-serving members of the Scotch whisky industry and a pioneer of techniques now widely used in whisky making, including his developments in cask finishing. Known and revered by whisky lovers and distillers around the world, Stewart was made a Member of the British Empire (MBE) in 2016 for his contribution to the Scotch whisky industry.
The single cask for The Balvenie Sixty was selected by Kelsey McKechnie, the distillery's apprentice malt master who has been mentored by Stewart for the past four years. She said: "I have learned so much from David at work. His mentorship has made a profound impact on me and finding a cask to fit such an incredible character in the distillery’s history is a great honour."
McKechnie described the whisky as having "autumnal aromas" and a palate of toffee, coffee and oak, with clove and orange peel notes in the finish.
Copyright DAVID LINETON
Stewart said: “[When] I started at the distillery in 1962, as a whisky stocks clerk, this liquid, a new-make spirit, was filled into a collection of traditional European oak hogshead casks. For six decades it has rested and matured, now marking quite a poignant moment for me on my journey.’’
The tube casing for The Balvenie Sixty comprises five layers, each etched with personal anecdotes from influential individuals in Stewart's whisky journey. The bottle is made from hand-blown crystal and features a quote from McKechnie, representing the current decade and future generations of The Balvenie.
More information about The Balvenie Sixty can be found at www.thebalvenie.com.
Stewart's milestone in the whisky industry follows celebrations – and an incredibly rare whisky release – in 2021 to mark the 60th anniversary in whisky of Dennis Malcolm, master distiller at fellow Speyside distillery Glen Grant.
