Balvenie 1989 25 Year Old Single Barrel Traditional Oak (70cl, 47.8%) ***sold***
Bottle No 205 of 300
Cask No 1868, Distilled in 1989, Bottled in 2015
The Balvenie 25 Year Old Single Barrel Traditional Oak, was introduced to the Balvenie single malt Scotch whisky range in 2014. Released in batches, each bottle is one of no more than 300, drawn from a single cask, all of which are refill American oak casks. There will be slight variations between batches, but the casks selected by Malt Master David Stewart for this release are chosen for having the richly spiced, sweetly honeyed character you'd expect from 25 year old Balvenie single malt aged in American oak. This means there is an overarching consistency between batches.
Balvenie was built by William Grant in 1892 and remains part of his family's company to this day. In the early part of its history, its purpose was primarily for the provision of malt for Grant's blends, however following the global success of Glenfiddich, the Balvenie single malt brand was launched in 1973. It remained a rarity though, and it was not until the opening of Kininvie in 1990, and later Ailsa Bay in Girvan, that the distillery was given the freedom to focus on its single malt. Today it is one of the best recognised brands in the world. In 1993 they launched the 12 year old "DoubleWood," an expression credited with pioneering the use of cask-finishing, and this has become a key motif for the distillery's output in recent times.