The appointment of a new Master Blender has always been a solemn affair in the Scotch whisky world. Becoming such a figure is not an overnight achievement, but requires 5 to 10 years of rigorous training. When designated as a successor, one must serve as an apprentice, learning from the distillery's official Master Blender or Master Distiller before assuming the role.
David Stewart is the longest-serving individual in Scotch whisky in roles such as Master Blender and Master Distiller, with 58 years of experience (as of 2020). His current apprentice, Kelsey McKechnie (female), is poised to inherit this legend's mantle. At 28 years old (as of 2020), she hails from Glasgow and holds a degree in biology and biological sciences. She has been with William Grant & Sons for six years since completing her studies (joined August 2014).
The distillery is equipped with an 11.8-ton full-lauter mash tun; nine wooden washbacks and five stainless steel washbacks with a fermentation time of 68 hours; five wash stills and six spirit stills. In 2019, the plan was to produce 29 tons of mash per week, convertible to 7 million liters of new make spirit. The production focuses primarily on unpeated whiskies, though one week each year is dedicated to peated whisky production. The distillery also conducts its own malting, satisfying 15% of its requirements. It also employs a coppersmith and operates a cooperage.
The core range includes DoubleWood 12 Year Old, DoubleWood 17 Year Old, Caribbean Cask 14 Year Old, Single Barrel 12 Year Old (first fill), Single Barrel 15 Year Old (sherry cask), Single Barrel 25 Year Old Traditional Oak, PortWood 21 Year Old, 30 Year Old, 40 Year Old, and 50 Year Old. Recent limited releases include Tun 1509 Batch 6, Tun 1858 Batch 7, and Chapter Five of The Balvenie DCS Compendium. A new limited series, The Balvenie Stories, launched in May 2019, features three expressions: The Sweet Toast of American Oak 12 Year Old, matured in first-fill bourbon casks and finished for 12 weeks in twice-toasted American oak barrels; A Week of Peat 14 Year Old, a heavily peated expression; and A Day of Dark Barley 26 Year Old. Travel retail exclusives include the Triple Cask series (12, 16, and 25 years), 21 Year Old Madeira Cask, and 14 Year Old Peated Triple Cask.
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