About
Thanks to natural alchemy and centuries-old craftsmanship, The Balvenie is unique among single malts. Our whisky-making process is dedicated to maintaining the Five Rare Crafts and we are the only distillery in Scotland that still grows its own barley, uses traditional floor maltings and keeps both a coppersmith and a team of coopers on site. And of course, our Malt Master David C. Stewart MBE presides over the all-important maturation process. Making The Balvenie the most hand-crafted of single malts.
The Balvenie 12 Year Single Barrel First Fill Single Malt Scotch Whisky has been aged in a first fill, ex-bourbon cask for at least 12 years. Almost all Scotch Whisky is matured in casks previously used by Bourbon distillers. When brought to Scotland and used for the very first time they are known as ‘First Fill’. Our Malt Master samples the aged whisky, cask by cask and selects only those characterized by sweetness and subtle vanilla oak to be bottled as The Balvenie Single Barrel First Fill. Each bottle is one of no more than 300 drawn from a single cask and each is hand-numbered and carries the number of the cask in which it matured. Dr Andrew Forrester, UK Brand Ambassador says: “As no two casks will ever produce the same whisky and there are no more than 300 bottles from any single cask, every batch of The Balvenie Single Barrel First Fill will have a unique identity. Due to the experience David Stewart has from over 50 years at The Balvenie however, we can expect a consistent character to this dram and boy, it is a good one”.
Tasting Notes
NOSE: Bounty of sweet oak and spice.
PALATE: Rich and complex with deep vanilla oakiness. Honey notes will be overlaid with sweet fruits and subtle spices.
FINISH: Lingering sweetness.