The three new expressions were inspired by The Balvenie team’s flavour journeys across the wine regions in Europe, leading them to create three new expressions finished in Madeira, Pineau and Pedro Ximénez casks
The year was 1982 when The Balvenie’s Malt Master, David C. Stewart MBE, pioneered cask finishing—a process where the whisky, after maturation, is stored in a different cask for a shorter period to add another layer of flavour. What started out as an experiment in the distillery has become one of Stewart’s most important contributions to the whisky world to date, with many distilleries following suit.
This groundbreaking method is the backbone of The Balvenie’s Cask Finishes Range, which debuted with The Balvenie Doublewood aged 12 years, The Balvenie Caribbean Cask aged 14 years, and The Balvenie Portwood aged 21 years.
More than a decade since the first release, Stewart and his team have expanded the collection with the addition of The Balvenie Madeira Cask aged 15 years, The Balvenie French Oak Cask aged 16 years, and The Balvenie Pedro Ximénez aged 18 years.
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Shares Brett Bayly, the regional brand ambassador for The Balvenie Southeast Asia: “The Balvenie’s Cask Finishes Range offers a unique range of rich and complex flavours, perfect for ardent lovers or newcomers who seek an exploration of whiskies like no other.” These new expressions encapsulate the “heart and soul of The Balvenie”.
The inspiration behind these flavours came from The Balvenie’s team sojourn across the wine regions of Europe—from Madeira in Southern Spain which reignited Stewart’s passion for Madeira’s dessert wine, to the French Charentes vineyards where US brand ambassador Lorne Cousin spent a holiday with his family. It was in the aforementioned region where Stewart recalled sipping a fortified wine aperitif, and with his encouragement, The Balvenie team used Pineau casks for the first time in the distillery’s 129-year history.
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