The Balvenie distillery is a Speyside single malt Scotch whisky distillery in Dufftown, Scotland, owned by William Grant & Sons.
William Grant was born on 19 December 1839 in his father's house in Dufftown.[] At seven he began herding cattle at a farm on the upper reaches of the River Deveron.[] He was apprenticed to a shoemaker then worked as a clerk, and then became a bookkeeper at Mortlach distillery 1866. There he was appointed as a clerk and then manager and learned the distilling trade.
After about twenty years, Grant left his job at the Mortlach distillery and bought a field near Balvenie Castle. He then drew up plans for his distillery, and the foundation stone was laid in the autumn of 1886.
Grant remained active in the company until his death in 1923 at the age of 83.
In early 1892 work began to convert an 18th-century mansion (Balvenie New House) into a distillery. The building took fifteen months to complete, and on 1 May 1893, the first distillation took place at the Balvenie Distillery.
David Stewart MBE, Balvenie's Master Distiller, is one of the industry's most experienced experts and was key in the evolution of wood finishing, a process whereby whiskies are 'flipped' from an ex-Bourbon barrel, for example, into a cask that has been used for maturing Sherry, resulting in a dramatic shift in the final flavour of the whisky. He received his MBE in 2016 for services to the Scotch Whisky Industry.
In 2007, The Balvenie's Global Brand Ambassador David Laird presented an online documentary series about the making of malt whisky, shot in and around the Balvenie Distillery.
Balvenie makes whisky in the traditional batch process of the production of single malt. The use of locally grown barley is preferred, and it is floor-malted where possible. Of the 100 or so distilleries in Scotland, Balvenie is one of only seven distilleries with its own malting floor.
In May 2013 The Balvenie commenced selling their triple cask range. These whiskies have been matured in three distinct cask types: Oloroso sherry butts, first-fill bourbon barrels, and traditional whisky casks. These can be characterised by subtle spice and honeycomb flavours.[] In this range are:
This range is currently only available to international travellers through the duty-free section of airports.
Some Balvenie offerings have received awards at spirits ratings competitions. At the San Francisco World Spirits Competitions from 2006–2012, its 15-year single barrel received: gold, silver, gold, silver, and double gold medals. Its Portwood Cask Finish 21 year won double gold in 2012—the last year it was rated in that competition. At the 2006 International Spirits Challenge, Balvenie's collective offerings yielded the biggest gold medal haul for any brand in any one year since the competition began.
Other notable awards:
