Balvenie Partners Exclusively With Patisserie Loulouca In Debuting New Balvenie 1931 Collection 12 Year Old Home Malt
The Balvenie has launched The 1931 Collection, anchored by an extraordinary 88-Year-Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky, the oldest bottling in the distillery’s history.
Distilled in 1931 and bottled in 2019 by Malt Master Kelsey McKechnie, this historic release anchors a trilogy of limited-edition expressions that celebrate the distillery's agrarian roots, alongside a 15-Year-Old crafted from 100% estate-grown and home-malted barley, and a 12-Year-Old made entirely from home-malted grain.
Bottled at 43.2% ABV, just 17 bottles of the 88-year-old whisky exist, bottled in 2019 by Malt Master Kelsey McKechnie.
Distilled on March 5, 1931, the liquid matured for 88 years in a single European oak Sherry butt (#239) from Jerez, Spain, housed within The Balvenie’s historic warehouses.Malt Master Kelsey McKechnie revealed that the decision to release this milestone dram was driven entirely by balance and flavor profile rather than its age alone. This meant that the cask had been monitored throughout its maturation and sampled periodically for the duration of its aging.
The decisive moment arrived in 2019, when Kelsey McKechnie evaluated the cask and determined the whisky had reached its full potential. Crucial to this milestone was the choice of a refill Sherry butt, which was said to allow the European oak to impart subtle depth, spice, and complexity without masking the core distillery identity within the spirit.
The 88-year-old expression reportedly reshaped McKechnie’s understanding of how ultra-aged whiskies ought to be defined. McKechnie chose a narrative tasting approach over traditional flavor notes to truly capture the whisky's complex character.
The nose on the expression is said to open with sweet honey, soft mint, and rich fudge, layered against earthy hints of heather, damp bracken, and aged leather.
On the palate, there is a promise of honey and creamy toffee with oak, warming spice, and forest fern which leads into a long, dry finish.
The 12 Year Old is crafted from 100% Home Malted Barley, and is inspired by the pioneering spirit first awakened in 1931. It is said to offer a contemporary interpretation of The Balvenie's enduring commitment to making whisky by hand. It is matured in American oak and finished in ex-Sherry Bodega European oak butts from Jerez, echoing the origin of the original 1931 cask. The expression promises notes of creamy toffee, delicate ginger, aromatic oak and mellow barley sweetness, which is said to segue into crystallised ginger, raisin and a smooth, spiced finish.
On the other hand, the 15 Year Old is also crafted entirely from estate-grown, in-house malted barley. The Balvenie 1931 Collection 15-Year-Old represents an authentic farm-to-bottle expression and is available exclusively across Global Travel Retail. On the nose, the expression is said to provide soft sweetness and golden malt, which then gives way to layers of honey, toasted oak and gentle spice.
For the release of the 88 year old, artist Daniel Arsham created a hand-blown crystal decanter framed by eight hand-patinated bronze layers representing each decade of maturation, 88 symbolic oak layers, and a copper accent repurposed from a decommissioned distillery still.
Arsham’s presentation for The 1931 Collection’s 12-Year-Old and 15-Year-Old expressions directly echoes the architectural sculpture created for the flagship 88-Year-Old bottling.
On the exterior, a tactile, heavily debossed casing features a soft green hue emerging from warm copper tones—mimicking the organic verdigris patina of the sculpture’s eight layered bronze plates. Opening the package reveals a rich, textured copper-colored substrate inside, directly referencing the copper pot stills and materials fundamental to The Balvenie’s heritage.
The Balvenie 1931 Collection debuted during Frieze Week Seoul at Space S50 with an immersive performance directed by Arsham. Set across a barley-grain canvas mirroring the distillery’s traditional malting floor, dancers executed eight meditative acts choreographed by Sukyung Yoo, occasionally joined by Arsham himself. The movement was set to a custom soundscape woven from ambient field recordings gathered directly from The Balvenie distillery.
To mark the Singapore launch, The Balvenie has partnered with dessert house Loulouca to present an exclusive, limited-time whisky experience.
Celebrating a shared commitment to artisanal craftsmanship, the collaboration pairs exceptional single malts with a curated menu.Available through December 31, 2026, guests can experience the lineup by the dram (30ml) featuring The Balvenie DoubleWood 12 ($16), The Balvenie Sweet Toast of American Oak 12 Year Old ($18), and The Balvenie 1931 Collection 12 Year Old Limited Edition ($24) or explore all three expressions through a curated tasting flight (20ml each) for $30.
The lineup also pairs with Loulouca's Shizuoka Melon dessert, a layered creation featuring matcha, Vanuatu vanilla mousse, lime, mint jelly, and watercress. Its bright, fresh profile is said to create a refined contrast that elevates the underlying richness and complex notes of the whiskies.
The Balvenie 1931 Collection 12 Year Old Limited Edition will be available exclusively through Loulouca and The Distillers Library, the private client space providing Southeast Asian collectors access to rare releases from the Grant family archives. Meanwhile, the collection’s 15 Year Old expression will be sold strictly through global travel retail outlets.
Kanpai!
88 Bamboo Editorial Team
