The year was 1962. The fresh-faced 17-year-old David Stewart entered the room with some apprehension. He's interviewing at the Dufftown-based whisky company William Grant & Sons for a stock clerk position, nothing fancy. Little did David know that he was sitting on the cusp of a transformative era in the Scotch industry – the dawn of single malts.

Back then, blended Scotch was king. Just as the world hadn’t quite grasped the full impact of Henry Ford's Model T back in 1908, the full significance of single malts was yet to be realised.

Current Malt Master Kelsey McKechnie and former Malt Master David C. Stewart MBE

While David had only expected to be a bean counter, after two years of diligent work, one day the boss invited young David into the whisky sample room. This seemingly innocuous opportunity was the spark that set David down the road of a lifelong passion in Scotch. David would become The Balvenie's Malt Master and pioneer techniques that many Scotch companies continue to rely on today. These contributions earned David an MBE from Queen Elizabeth in 2016.

Last week, I had the opportunity to have a taste of this eventful five-decade journey that David experienced at The Balvenie with a curated tasting of Balvenie's whiskies through the ages.

Led by the debonair Global Brand Ambassador Charlie Metcalfe at William Grant & Son’s private client space, we had a phenomenal flight that began with a vintage expression from the dawn of single malts in the 1970s before culminating in some high-age expressions of The Balvenie in the 2010s. Each decade’s whisky would reveal to us an interesting aspect or quality that has shaped the malt's identity through the years.

So let's rewind to the 1970s and delve into the first dram of this series.

Balvenie Founders Reserve 1970s Release, 40% ABV – Tasting the Dawn of Single Malts (1970s)

The first expression we sampled was a discontinued Balvenie Founders Reserve from the 1970s, a decade which marked a significant milestone. Prior to 1973, Balvenie was only used in blends.

The Founders Reserve quickly became a staple in Balvenie's core lineup since the 1970s and they later even developed a 10 Years Old Founders Reserve expression with an age statement when the was sufficient aged stock available.

Interestingly, the 1970s Founders Reserve was presented in a Cognac-style bottle instead of the signature squat, rounded bottle we’ve come to be familiar with today. Now, this packaging says a lot about the prevailing market for fine spirits at the time. Cognac was the popular luxury when single malt was still finding its footing then, and the use of a Cognac bottle might have been a whiskymaker’s effort to borrow from the established prestige of Cognac.

Sadly, the Founders Reserve is no longer in production, particularly rare are those in the vintage Cognac-style bottles. These older expressions are not only rare – they offer a glimpse into a bygone era of Scotch whisky production. Almost immediately you’d find that their flavour profiles differ from that of today's Scotch whiskies. Distillation techniques, cask management and even the barley varieties used have all undergone change over the decades. Moreover, the preference for lighter whiskies wasn't as prevalent in the 1970s, so you might even find subtle smoky notes in these older bottlings. Let’s give this capsule a taste.

Tasting Notes

Nose: Bright, brimming with soft fruits and heady floral notes. It opens with the vibrant character of sweet chrysanthemum tea, honey, pomelo and bright apple juice. A delicate woodsy sweetness touch of dried apple chips, cinnamon and touch of cocoa powder.

Palate: Remarkably fresh, crystalline and crisp – echoing much of the aromatics. Honey and chrysanthemum tea reappear, intertwined with the crisp sweetness of Martinelli's apple juice. Gradually develops cinnamon and light toasted oak notes, complemented by a growing subtle woodsy note of dried heather – almost seems like really delicate peat smoke but not quite. A touch of herbs and toasted sandalwood.

Finish: Long and evocative, leaving a lasting impression of soft more toasted sandalwood. Honeyed sweetness lingers, accompanied by light woody spices and delicate notes of hot cocoa. A hint of orange peel at the very end.

My Thoughts

The nose and finish on this 1970s’ Balvenie is truly captivating. It’s got such an intense and bright floral character. On the palate, the whisky is incredibly fresh and crystalline, with a delicate hint of dried florals that speaks to its vintage.

It may not have the same signature richness of modern Balvenie expressions, but this 1970s Founders Reserve offers a very fresh and fruity glimpse into whisky-making of a bygone era.

As the first dram of our pentalogy, this sets an unreasonably high bar.

Balvenie DoubleWood 12 Years, 40% ABV – Pioneering Cask Finishing (1980s)

Moving on from the Founders Reserve, we arrive at the iconic DoubleWood 12 Years Old, a whisky that changed the industry. While “finished” whiskies are commonplace today, this practice was unheard of back in the late 1980s. David, ever the innovator, was looking to create something distinct from the Founders Reserve. He wondered how the whisky would evolve if he transferred it from traditional American oak ex-bourbon barrels to European oak casks that had previously held Sherry. His experimentation led to the birth of the DoubleWood.

The secondary maturation adds layers of complexity, introducing richer Sherried flavours, spices and a depth that complements the American oak influence. The magic of this technique lies not in the Sherry but in the European oak. According to David, most of the flavour in the DoubleWood comes from the very active two-year-old European oak casks, which conveys lots of spices from the wood into the whisky.

Inspired by Balvenie's success, many other distilleries began to adopt a similar wood finishing technique.

Tasting Notes

Nose: Brimming with warm sweetness, like muscat grapes and honey. Delicate notes of stewed apples with a touch of vanilla adding a creamy layer to the aroma.

Palate: Medium-bodied with a pronounced vanilla note upfront. Light honeyed sweetness complements the vanilla, followed by fresh red apple, poached pear and gradually developing spices. Accompanied by a hint of anise and a dry nuttiness reminiscent of toasted almond.

Finish: Moderate in length, with fading honey and a soft warmth on the back of the throat.

My Thoughts

This is a dependable classic, an easy-drinking whisky with a lovely balance of honeyed sweetness, vanilla, spice and a touch of nuttiness.

The nose is delightfully fresh and sweet, while the palate is evident with the influence of European oak finishing with its added warmth, richness and nuttiness.

The difference delivered by cask finishing is more striking if you had the opportunity to taste this with the earlier Founders Reserve. It’s perceptibly warmer, richer and thicker with a balanced spice and nuttiness.

Balvenie PortWood 21 Years, 44.2% ABV – Perfecting Cask Finishing (1990s)

Always tinkering, always experimenting, David went on to perfect his cask finishing techniques, eventually creating what he considers one of his proudest achievements in 1996: the Balvenie PortWood 21 Years Old.

With the DoubleWood, a lot of flavour comes from the European oak itself, not so much the Sherry that was in the cask before. The PortWood flips the script. Using much older Port pipes – after an initial maturation in American oak – the whisky soaks up a whole load of that lovely Port flavour.

This became another iconic and revered expression from Balvenie that represents the pinnacle of David Stewart’s cask finishing expertise.

Tasting Notes

Nose: Sweet and luscious, with a pronounced red fruit character. Begins with vanilla and honey intertwined with raspberry and cranberry notes, along with a just-as-present character of light muskiness and polished antique wood and old leather. It just gets sweeter and sweeter, developing a hint of overripe cherries.

Palate: A prominent influence from the European oak and the Port. It opens with a burst of dried red fruits; dried cranberries, followed by a touch of soft calfskin leather and old tobacco boxes. Despite the slightly lighter body, spices and warmth steadily develop, but the overall experience remains accessible and easy to drink.

Finish: Long, with fading notes of European oak. A touch of chocolate adds richness, while cinnamon and gingerbread linger on the palate.

My Thoughts

The PortWood 21 Years offers a distinguished and drier profile compared to the DoubleWood, with a more robust oak influence that remains well-balanced. It appears just as sweet as the DoubleWood, but it showcases much more distinctive array of red fruit notes derived from the Port.

The nose is particularly impressive, with its bright and luscious overripe fruit character joined by antique wood. Personally, I would have preferred this whisky at a higher ABV to further amplify its complexity and depth, although bottling it at 40% makes this expression much more accessible and appealing to a wider audience of drinkers.

Balvenie Rare Marriages Thirty, 40% ABV – Balvenie’s Sweetest Ever (2000s)

By the time the 2000s rolled around, the distillery’s stock was sitting pretty, with casks that had been maturing for over three decades. This allowed David and the team to create something truly exceptional: the Balvenie Rare Marriages Thirty Years Old.

While the core range expressions like the DoubleWood aim for that consistent, signature Balvenie profile, the Rare Marriages series is all about showcasing the unique character of individual casks. Each bottling of the Balvenie Thirty represents a combination of rare casks, some aged in American oak, some in European oak, that are brought together in a traditional oak marrying tun where they would hang for several months.

This "marriage," as it's called, is crucial for the spirit to harmonise. Like any good marriage, natural convection currents and a bit of oxygen help to soften the whisky and smooth out the initial rough edges. David himself was the one who championed the use of marrying tuns at William Grant & Sons back when he was 29.

It's said that the Balvenie Thirty is the distillery’s sweetest and most honeyed expression.

Tasting Notes

Nose: Impressive depth, opening with aromatic oak notes and the fragrance of dried lavender and fresh linen. Opens with luscious spun caramel, followed by nectarines, orange oil and chocolate orangettes. A creamy layer of vanilla followed by a subtle Sherried fruits note reminiscent of dried raisins.

Palate: A lovely oily viscous texture that carries a well-integrated blend of honey and light black tea notes. Opens with notes of baked apple pie and poached pear, accented by a pronounced caramel overtone, evolving into dried fruitcake, with hints of dried plums and caramelised tinned peaches. A gradually growing oak warmth leads us to a lovely nutty, almondy marzipan sweetness that complements the fruit, along with reemerging orange oil. Just a subtle aromatic accent of Oolong tea.

Finish: Impressive depth once again, now with a lot of creaminess. Vanilla and cocoa linger for long, alongside growing notes of toasted coconut. Gentle warmth settles on the back of the throat, followed by an exotic long, drawn-out toasted almond flakes and warmth from anise seed.

My Thoughts:

The Balvenie Thirty is phenomenal in its depth and complexity. It’s so captivating with those evocative notes that range from robust spices and oak to luscious fruits and honeyed sweetness.

The oak influence is prominent yet balanced, providing structure without overpowering. There is an elevated heftiness of Sherried character that reflects the maturation, and yet the overall is character is rounded, really harmonious and allows every other dimension to have its say and. A great high-age expression that showcases Balvenie's blending expertise in achieving balance with the various components.

Balvenie A Revelation of Cask and Character 19 Years, 47.5% ABV – A Tribute to Balvenie’s Coopers (2010s)

And finally we have an expression that signals a new era for the distillery and the passing of torch from David to his apprentice, Kelsey McKechnie who has taken over as The Balvenie’s new Malt Master.

A Revelation of Cask and Character 19 Years Old is part of the Balvenie Stories Collection, a range of whiskies that shines a spotlight on the stories of people behind the liquid. This sherry matured whisky is the first whisky officially released under the leadership of Kelsey as Malt Master, whose career at William Grant & Sons began in 2014.

The whisky is a tribute to the unsung heroes of The Balvenie: the inhouse coopers, including Head Cooper Ian McDonald who meticulously repair and care for the Spanish Sherry casks that held the whisky for nearly two decades. The whisky also looks to celebrate the happy discovery that whisky could absorb the rich, complex flavours of the Sherry that once filled the casks.

Tasting Notes

Nose: Honeyed, candied and with an abundance of ripe fruits. Opens with dried red fruits, including red grapes, plums and dried apricots that become increasingly luscious. Warm sweetness of apple dipped in caramel evolves into an exotic blend of spices, including gingerbread, cinnamon and anise - the whole experience reminiscent of spiced mulled wine. There’s also a light woodsy note of dried lavender.

Palate: Mirrors the nose with its honeyed character and pronounced European oak notes. Maple syrup and sweet toasted wood influences lead to darker notes of rum soaked prunes and blackberries, then further depths of dark chocolate and espresso and calfskin leather.

By mid-palate the whisky does become slightly drier, but the aromatic dimensions of the wood remain beautifully balanced, buoyed by this ever-present honeyed note.

Finish: A long warmth, with lingering chocolate notes and a hint of dried almond skins.

My Thoughts:

This is an impressively refined Sherry whisky. It is remarkably flavourful, showcasing the best aspects of sherry maturation; the rich dried fruits, the elegant spice notes, the balanced oak influence. It avoids becoming overly cloying or overly drying, maintaining a delightful harmony throughout.

This expression represents very impressive work from Malt Master Kelsey McKechnie and makes me eagerly anticipate the future of Balvenie under her guidance.

2020s and Beyond: The Balvenie Fifty

Our journey through the decades has revealed the innovation and artistry of the people behind The Balvenie. But the distillery had one final surprise in store, a whisky that encapsulates half a century of whisky-making expertise.

The distillery has just announced the launch of The Balvenie Fifty collection of rare whiskies selected by Malt Master Kelsey McKechnie. The First Edition is a single cask European oak refill butt whisky filled in 1973 and bottled at 52.3% ABV with an outturn of just 125 bottles worldwide.

Official Tasting Notes

Nose:

Elegant and captivating. Aromas of deep fruits, cassis and candied apricots, layered atop delicate cedar and a warming nutty spice.

Taste:

An exceptional Balvenie. Flavours of caramelised fruits, rich spice and soft vanilla marry together with a delicate ginger spice and citrus zing.

With only a few bottles in existence, The Balvenie Fifty would be elusive to most whisky enthusiasts. However, judging from the Official Tasting Notes and our experience with The Balvenie Thirty, we can expect a same focus on extraordinary depth.

Read more about The Balvenie Fifty here.

@CharsiuCharlie