SPOTLIGHT ON LIQUOR


‘Peat edition’ represents new statement of intent at Balvenie


William Grant is on a mission to convert a whole new following with the latest travel retail exclusive launch in The Balvenie triple cask collection. Luke Barras-Hill reports from his voyage of discovery to the company’s single malt distillery located in Dufftown, Scotland.


with a delicate, sweet and lingering peat smoke that unlocks flavours unexpected from a Speyside distillery and showcases The Balvenie’s truly innovative and forward-thinking nature,” says brand owner William Grant & Sons. The new expression also celebrates


techniques used throughout the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, when locally sourced peat was used to dry the barley produced on the distillery’s traditional malt floor, which remains in use today. “Having done all the peat trials,


Above: The non-chill filtered expression is produced during the distillery's annual Peat Week.


S


peyside is perhaps better known for its light and sweet drams, as opposed to the more


heavily-peated variants encountered in Islay, but a revolution is occurring on the malting floor of The Balvenie distillery in Dufftown. The travel retail exclusive Balvenie


Peated Triple Cask aged 14 years (launched last month as a permanent edition to the existing ranges priced at £65 for a 70cl bottle) has the honour of being one of the distillery’s first whiskies to be made from 100% peated barley. Non-chill filtered and bottled


at 48.3% ABV, the peated version is aged in three traditional – yet unmistakeably popular – casks: first-fill bourbon, refill bourbon, and sherry, which blend sweeter notes of


“Value sales of The Balvenie have grown ahead of volume, more than doubling since 2010.”


Ed Cottrell, Managing Director Global Travel Retail, WG&S


52 TRBUSINESS


cinnamon and ginger to balance out the smoke. In creating the hand-crafted single


malt – available on a limited run of 3,000 bottles – The Balvenie has reimagined a classic Speyside whisky. The launch, according to brand


owner William Grant & Sons (WG&S), releases an ‘exceptional peated expression’ that reflects a time when peated whiskies were more common in Speyside.


Peat trials Former Balvenie Distillery Manager and Prestige Whiskies Specialist Ian Millar tells TRBusiness that the inspiration for the new single malt variant first came in 2001 when The Balvenie conducted peating trials. The Balvenie laid down a batch


of heavily peated malt to mature at the distillery, guided by Malt Master David Stewart. Since then, the distillery has dedicated one week per year (Peat Week) where only peated barley is used in the production cycle to produce different styles of The Balvenie using smoky notes. “The result of the initial experiment is a classic, honeyed whisky enriched


there was a confidence that we could actually handle this,” comments Millar, when asked why The Balvenie has come to the market with a travel retail exclusive peat expression. Millar says the distillery had


historically bought high volumes of peated whisky for its blends, meaning the decision to launch triple cask peated was a ‘zero-risk opportunity to produce peated whisky at the distillery, and therefore had the potential to be used as a single malt or as a blend’. “This will not last long in any


market and any shop; it is limited, specific to one year and it’s Balvenie – it sells itself,” he continues. “I think there will be queues;


people asking people to go to the airport to buy it for them and that is the buzz around Balvenie.” This magazine writer experienced


first hand the craft that goes into producing the new expression, with a visit to Dufftown serving up a tour of the distillery and tasting session of the new liquid, which also included some cask strength sampling. Guided by David Mair, Distillery


Ambassador, a large group of guests comprising international journalists,


JULY 2017


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