Whisky regions

Did you know?

Close to Balvenie is the local Nairn Golf Course, that has the highest altitude golf hole in the UK at over 1000 feet or 305 metres.

Balvenie marked on a Scotland map

Balvenie map
Country - Scotland
Region - Speyside

Balvenie

Balvenie Distillery The Balvenie Distillery
Dufftown
AB55 4DH
tel - +44(0)1340 820 373
web - www.balvenie.com

Tours through Balvenie Distillery are available twice daily Monday to Thursday and once on Fridays. Charges apply. Limited to a maximum of eight people and the tour lasts for around two and a half hours. Booking in advance is essential.

How to pronouce Balvenie? bal-vaynee

Balvenie's story
Balvenie is one of the most famous names in the world of whisky. It is a large distillery capable of producing over 5.5 million litres of spirit a year and is described as 'the complete distillery', due to the fact that every process of production takes place on the site. This includes growing the barley on land adjoining the distillery buildings (the only distillery to do this), having an active malting floor and making casks in their own cooperage. Balvenie has been one of the world's best selling single malt whiskies for a number of years and consistently remains in the top 10.

Balvenie's history
Balvenie opened in 1892 by William Grant, who wanted to build a new distillery in order to help his other distillery at Glenfiddich to meet consumer demand. Glenfiddich had opened six years earlier and its whisky was proving extremely popular, so Grant decided to renovate nearby Balvenie House and its outbuildings. He bought and installed equipment that was deemed surplus at the Lagavulin and Glen Albyn distilleries. The distillery's success was almost instantaneous, following on from Glenfiddich's impressive start. Most of the whisky produced at Balvenie was put towards Grant & Sons range of blended whiskies, especially Grant's which has been one of the UK's and the world's top selling blends for many years. Regular single malt releases only really became common in the early 1970s and the reputation of its sweet, creamy, rich whisky grew rapidly. This popularity led Grant & Sons to build another distillery next door and Kininvie started production in 1990. Kininvie was built solely to take the weight off Balvenie and Glenfiddich and everything produced there goes towards the Grant's blended range. Balvenie and Glenfiddich now concerntrate on meeting demand for their single malts, with only a small percentage now going to Grant's new blend called Monkey Shoulder. Balvenie remains under the ownership of the Grant family, making William Grant & Sons one of the longest single family ownerships in the world.

Balvenie's whiskies
Balvenie 12 years old Doublewood
  • Balvenie 12 years old Doublewood
  • Aged in bourbon casks for approximately 10 years then sherry casks for the final two years. Many people say that the Doublewood shows the perfect marriage and time of maturation between the two casks.
  • click for tasting notes
Balvenie 12 years old Signature
  • Balvenie 12 years old Signature
  • A complex and creamy whisky with vanilla and woody notes from maturation in two bourbon casks, followed by a sweetness from maturation in a sherry cask.
  • click for tasting notes
Balvenie 15 years old
  • Balvenie 15 years old Single Barrel
  • Mellow and complex this is only ever released in 350 bottle batches. Bourbon cask maturation gives loads of creamy vanilla, oak, coconut and spices.
  • click for tasting notes
Balvenie 21 years old Portwood
  • Balvenie 21 years old 'Portwood'
  • This is an excellent example of a cask finished whisky that is rich, fruity, spicy and complex.
  • click for tasting notes