One of the distillery’s rarest releases to date, The Balvenie Fifty Collection is a trilogy of Scotch whiskies that celebrate its dedication to craftsmanship. — Photos: The Balvenie
What does 50 years in a cask do to a whisky? In the case of The Balvenie Fifty Collection, it does more than just impart flavour to the liquid – it nurtures, enhances, and ultimately, celebrates the exceptional spirit that The Balvenie produces.
One of its rarest releases to date, The Balvenie Fifty Collection is a seamless trilogy of Scotch whiskies that represent the interwoven stories of craftsmanship at the Speyside distillery over the last 50 years.
With only 125 bottles released annually over the next three years, the collection started with the First Edition, a unique single cask expression (cask number 8720), aged in a European oak refill butt, filled in 1973 and selected by Malt Master, Kelsey McKechnie.
For the Second Edition, McKechnie introduced a second American oak hogshead cask filled in 1973 to marry with the first; before adding a third American oak barrel filled in a 1974 cask to the marriage for the final Edition.
The collection started with the First Edition, a unique single cask expression (cask number 8720), aged in a European oak refill butt, filled in 1973.
Back in 1973, The Balvenie’s craftspeople, led by the former Malt Master David Stewart, came together to fill the cask that would become the First Edition.
Many of those craftspeople still work for The Balvenie today; through their dedication to the brand’s five rare crafts, many new practices in whisky making have been put in place over the last half a century.
The discovery of cask finishings is one of the most poignant, and today, McKechnie continues this legacy with her approach to marrying and remarrying of casks creating a signature flavour profile across The Balvenie Collection that is complex and unique to each Edition.
Each Edition in this collection is a testament to the craftsmanship that has defined The Balvenie’s liquid over the past 50 years.
According to McKechnie, each Edition in this collection is a testament to the craftsmanship that has defined The Balvenie’s liquid over the past 50 years.
“The unique characteristics of these rare casks come together to create a truly exceptional experience and set a new benchmark for our contribution to the rare and extraordinary whisky market at Balvenie,” she said in a press release.
“Using a refill butt for the First Edition in this collection provides us with a distinctive flavour thread that will run through our next two releases, demonstrating the spectrum of flavours and aromas in our aged spirit.
“It is a celebration of our legacy, our passion, and our unwavering commitment to producing some of the finest whiskies in the world,” she added.
The First Edition of The Balvenie Fifty Collection showcases the depth and complexity of the spirit influenced by the European oak cask.
The First Edition of The Balvenie Fifty Collection showcases the depth and complexity of the spirit influenced by the European oak cask whilst maintaining The Balvenie's classic sweet honey style, even after fifty years of maturation.
On the nose, expect aromas of deep fruits, cassis and candied apricots, layered atop delicate cedar and a warming nutty spice.
On the palate, the whisky presents flavours of caramelised fruits, rich spice and soft vanilla, which marry together with a delicate ginger spice and citrus zing.
The exquisite packaging is developed by Croglin; a bespoke craft workshop based in Cumbria.
The Balvenie Fifty Collection is enhanced further by the exquisite packaging developed by Croglin; a bespoke craft workshop based in Cumbria.
Each presentation contains over 100 different elements, including four layers of wood in the helix structure with a tolerance for error of less than 1/10th of a millimetre, and a beautifully crafted 14-carat gold-plated brass display.
The Balvenie Fifty First Edition was first launched in Britain on Aug 7, 2024, before being available in select retailers worldwide. The Second Edition and Third Edition will launch in 2025 and 2026.
For more information about The Balvenie’s entire range, visit The Balvenie.
