“This single-bottle release from Cask 10379 is a stunning example of The Balvenie, with an incredibly complex nose and taste. The cask was distilled on 18 November 1964 and has slept, quietly maturing in Warehouse 24, for 56 years, to be revealed now at The Distillers One of One.” - David C. Stewart MBE, Malt Master of The Balvenie

This extraordinary bottle of The Balvenie Single Malt Scotch Whisky, distilled on 18^th November 1964, was drawn from cask 10379 on 11^th June 2021. One of the rarest and oldest expressions of The Balvenie ever released, it is the only bottle in existence from this special cask aged 56 years.

This incomparable cask was selected by The Balvenie Malt Master, David C. Stewart MBE, only the fourth Malt Master in the history of the distillery, for its sublime balance of flavor and depth of character.

Discovering the few that have the potential – many, many years forth-to become the most sublime, long-aged expressions of The Balvenie is a wonder to behold.

David’s decades of knowledge and nosing of countless samples has given him a preternatural sense for how each cask will mature. This experience allows him to expect certain results from The Balvenie after a particular amount of time from a particular kind of wood, but even after more than six decades of experience, David Stewart knows he can still be surprised. These unknowns feed the endless allure of whisky, and perhaps, in no small way, keep the master content and creative after decades in the same role.

Distilled just two years after David, now the longest-serving Malt Master in the Scotch Whisky industry, started at The Balvenie Distillery, the chosen cask 10379 [American oak hogshead] has maturing quietly in Warehouse 24 for more than five decades and has developed a remarkable complexity during this time.

On the nose, aromas of sherbet tannins, shades of tobacco and candied ginger follow subtle aromatic mint leaves. An initial cooling spearmint note on the palate recedes to reveal layers of vanilla and a creamy hint of brioche dough. A stunning example of a long-aged Balvenie, extremely complex on the nose and palate with a lingering finish. And the unmistakable honeyed flavour created by the shape of the pot stills, with their ‘Balvenie Ball’ at the base of the swan’s neck [a feature replicated in the bottle], runs through each and every crafted drop.

The spirit of craft lives on at The Balvenie, the only distillery in the Scottish Highlands that maintains the Five Rare Crafts of whisky making. This commitment to craftsmanship brings invaluable skill, knowledge, experience and passion to every stage of the process through the hands of dedicated craftsmen. In a world of automation, The Balvenie maintains its distinctive character, and its heart.

For this unique bottling, masters of the craft of glass making at Dartington Crystal created the exquisite decanter, mouth-blown and hand-finished to allow the dark amber of The Balvenie to shine through. The hand of Peter Horridge, world-renowned graphic artist unsurpassed in the creation of letterforms and with a distinctive fluidity of line, graces the one-of-a-kind, deckle-edged paper label. The year 1964, distillation and bottling dates are written in copperplate script, the classic and perhaps most exacting of all the calligraphic forms.

The Balvenie looked to fine contemporary furniture designer and maker Sam Chinnery to create a bespoke piece to house the decanter. Known for the highest levels of traditional skills at his Morayshire workshop and with a deep appreciation of the strength, warmth and beauty of wood, Sam handcrafted a cylindrical, book-opening case in black walnut to complement the rich hues of the whisky with brass accents to echo the engraved brass decanter stopper.

This sits under lock and key in a black walnut chest, with solid brass corner bracing and inscribed plaque certificate, made by Neil Stevenson, founder of N.E.J. Stevenson, Royal Warrant holder as Cabinet Maker By Appointment to Her Majesty The Queen.

The Balvenie Distillery

1892. William Grant builds The Balvenie distillery in the abandoned Balvenie New House. Founded on a belief in the value of craft-the specialness of things made by hand, with heart – and thanks to natural alchemy and centuries-old craftsmanship, The Balvenie is unique among single malts.

The whisky-making process is dedicated to maintaining the Five Rare Crafts and it is the only distillery in Scotland that still grows its own barley, uses traditional floor maltings and keeps both a coppersmith and a team of coopers on site. Malt Master David C. Stewart MBE presides over the all-important maturation process-making The Balvenie the most hand-crafted of single malts.

At The Balvenie they stay true to their Five Rare Crafts; making whisky the way they always have. Their craftsmen have an intimate understanding of their materials and a desire to make the very best whisky possible. Their process is a combination of expertise, skill and ambition which gives The Balvenie its unique character.

Craftsmanship isn’t just having a hobby, it's about a lifetime commitment to a single skill – a devotion to one thing [which is so rare these days] – and an artful balance between hand, mind and heart.

The barley for each malting is sown on Balvenie Mains, the 1000-acre farm overlooking the distillery. After steeping in spring water from the surrounding hills, the grain is spread across the traditional malting floor, one of only a handful left in Scotland.

Two of the most important factors affecting the taste are the shape and size of the copper stills, which have varied very little since the distillery opened. They maintain the same ‘Balvenie Ball’ shape, a bulge at the base of the swan's neck, which allows the vapours more time to mix. The distinctive shape also gives The Balvenie its honeyed flavor.

Thanks to the coppersmith – maintaining the intricate valves and pipework of the spirit safes to hammering copper sheets into the curves of the stills – repairs are rarely needed, but when they are, juniper branches are the first thing boiled inside, known as ‘sweetening the still’, before the whisky-making restarts.

The casks hold such importance to the taste of The Balvenie that their preparation and care are only entrusted to the distillery’s cooperage, and only these coopers’ touch is trusted to toast the wood just enough to release the flavours within.

No-one knows whisky better than The Balvenie’s David C. Stewart MBE. During a 12-year apprenticeship, he gained the range of skills required to create the very finest single malt whisky. Malt Master since 1974, he’s able to imagine and formulate each expression of The Balvenie long before it is ready, and even finds room to experiment within the time-honoured traditions.

This reverence for the handmade carries through every aspect, from making whisky to weaving stories that engage every sense. It is also the spirit behind The Makers Project, through which like-minded craftsmen are invited to create beautiful objects that complement the whiskies. This creates a world of The Balvenie full of rich textures, refined details, and pure craft.

William Grant & Sons

William Grant & Sons, Ltd. is an independent family-owned distiller headquartered in the United Kingdom and founded by William Grant in 1887. Today, the luxury spirits company is run by the fifth generation of his family and distills some of the world’s leading brands of Scotch whisky, including the world’s favourite single malt Glenfiddich®, The Balvenie® range of handcrafted single malts, ghost distillery Ladyburn and the world’s third largest blended Scotch Grant’s® as well as other iconic spirits brands such as Hendrick’s® Gin, Sailor Jerry®, Tullamore D.E.W Irish Whiskey, Monkey Shoulder and Drambuie.

William Grant & Sons’ rich legacy of giving back to its communities comes from the heart and over generations – it is integral to the way it does business. Building on a long tradition of supporting community groups and charities through the William Grant Foundation, the distiller’s historic donation of three unique lots to the The Distillers One of One auction forms part of this philanthropic drive.