The Balvenie
The Balvenie Distillery is situated in Dufftown, Moray, in the heart of the Speyside. Known for its traditional craftsmanship and high-quality whiskies, Balvenie maintains a hands-on approach to whisky making and is famous for its rich, complex and often sherried single malts.
History
The distillery was founded in 1892 by William Grant, who also founded Glenfiddich Distillery. The first distillation took place in 1893. Balvenie has remained in the hands of William Grant & Sons, a family-owned company, maintaining a legacy of tradition and quality.
Traditional Craftsmanship
The Balvenie is one of the few distilleries that maintains a full range of traditional whisky-making practices in-house:
- Growing its own barley: The Balvenie cultivates barley on its own farm.
- Floor maltings: The Balvenie has its own traditional malting floor, one of the few distilleries to do so. This process involves turning the barley by hand. Read more in our Meet the Maker blog post with Matthew Paterson, Malt Man at The Balvenie.
- Cooperage: The distillery has its own cooperage where skilled coopers build and repair barrels. See the cooperage in action in our video blog post, A day in the life of a cooper at The Balvenie Distillery.
- Coppersmith: The Balvenie employs a resident coppersmith to maintain its copper stills.
Production Style & Core Range
Balvenie whiskies are known for their rich, honeyed sweetness and complex layers of flavour.
The Balvenie 12 Year Old DoubleWood is aged in American oak barrels before being finished in sherry casks and is known for its smooth, sweet and spicy character. The Balvenie 14 Year Old Caribbean Cask is finished in rum casks, imparting tropical fruit and toffee notes. The Balvenie 17 Year Old DoubleWood is similar to the 12-year-old but with a more mature and deeper flavour profile due to extended aging. And The Balvenie 21 Year Old PortWood is finished in port pipes, offering rich and complex flavours with hints of port wine.
Visitor Centre
The Balvenie offers an immersive visitor experience including guided tours (booking required) that explore the distillery’s traditional processes, from malting to maturation.
