🥃 The Balvenie
A distillery and single malt whisky brand in Dufftown (Speyside), 1892; its own floor maltings; Double Wood since 1993; owned by William Grant & Sons.
The Balvenie is a distillery and single malt Scotch whisky brand in Dufftown, Speyside. It was built by William Grant in 1892–1893 next to Glenfiddich, and production began in 1893. Balvenie has kept its own floor maltings, and today the distillery belongs to the family company William Grant & Sons.
History. Early on, the whisky mostly went into blends. Balvenie stands on the same site as Glenfiddich and Kininvie, but their production methods differ. Whiskypedia calls this brand one of the fastest-growing among single malts.
How it is made. The floor maltings supply up to 15% of the malt for the mash. The water comes from the Conval Hills spring. The sources differ on the number of stills: the table gives 11, while the description says nine; there are 12 washbacks of 55,000 litres each.
Range. Double Wood, launched in 1993, was one of the first single malts with a finish in a second cask: it is aged in ex-bourbon casks and then briefly finished in sherry casks. There are also Caribbean Cask 14, Port Wood 21, single cask single malts and the Tun 1401 and Tun 1509 batches.
Why this matters to you. The mark "Double Wood", "Caribbean Cask" or "Port Wood" means finishing in separate casks, not blending of different whiskies. The age on the label is the age of the youngest whisky in the bottle. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| Year founded | 1892/1893, William Grant (Dufftown, Speyside); production since 1893 |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2890) (Single Malt Scotch Whisky) |
| EU category | 2 — whisky (whisky/whiskey) |
| Raw material | malted barley (own floor maltings supply up to 15%); Conval Hills water |
| Distillation method | twice, in copper stills; the number of stills differs in the sources (9 or 11) |
| Cask type | ex-bourbon, finish in sherry casks (Double Wood) |
| Minimum maturation | at least 3 years in oak by law; Double Wood 17 — 17 years |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 40% ABV or more by law |
What it includes
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 The Balvenie → kind of → 🥃 Whisky → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Previous step
- 🥃 William Grant & Sons
- Packed in
- 🍷 Oak barrel, 🍷 Sherry
- Made from
- 🥃 Barley and malt in whisky
- What it contains
- 🧪 Water, 🍷 Ethanol
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Traditions
- 🧑🤝🧑 British
- Part of
- 🥃 Whisky, 🥃 Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 🥃 Scotch Whisky, 🥃 Speyside whisky
- Related to
- 🌍 Western Europe
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Glenfiddich, 🥃 Glenfiddich, 🥃 The Glenlivet, 🥃 The Glenlivet, 🥃 Glenfiddich 12 Year Old, 🥃 Glenfiddich Grand Cru 23 Year Old, 🥃 Talisker, 🥃 Talisker, 🥃 The Famous Grouse, 🥃 The Famous Grouse
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that Balvenie has its own floor maltings?
Yes. The original floors have been kept, and they supply up to 15% of the malt for the mash, according to Whiskypedia.
What is Double Wood?
A version launched in 1993: the whisky is aged in ex-bourbon casks and then briefly finished in sherry casks.
Who owns Balvenie?
William Grant & Sons, the family company that also owns Glenfiddich.
How many stills does Balvenie have?
The sources differ: Whiskypedia's table says 11, its description says nine.
What water is used for Balvenie?
Water from the Conval Hills spring.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Ethanol — The alcohol formed during fermentation that makes you drunk.
- 🍷 Oak barrel — A wooden barrel of oak staves in which wine matures and breathes.
- 🌍 Western Europe — France, the Netherlands, Britain, Ireland, Belgium and Luxembourg: a mild, moist climate, pastures and hundreds of cheeses such as Roquefort, Camembert, Gouda and Cheddar.
- 🧑🤝🧑 British — People of Great Britain; their protected West Country Cheddar matures for at least 9 months, and tea is drunk with milk.
Similar
🥃 Dailuaine · 🥃 Tamnavulin · 🥃 Monkey Shoulder · 🥃 Cragganmore · 🥃 Glengoyne · 🥃 Benrinnes
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- The Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2890), reg. 3: definition and categories of Scotch Whisky (Scotland, oak up to 700 l, min. 3 years, min. 40 % ABV)
- Scotchwhisky.com (Whiskypedia): Balvenie (1892/93, own floor maltings, 12 washbacks, Conval Hills water, Double Wood 1993)
- Difford's Guide: Balvenie Distillery (established 1892, William Grant & Sons, range)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)