At the end of October, The Balvenie’s Malt Master of over 55 years, David Stewart, was in New York to launch a collection of rare whiskeys showcasing the art of whiskey making.
The limited set of DCS Compendium Chapter Three is exclusively featured at Ty Bar at Four Seasons Hotel New York and available for whiskey lovers to sample by the flight for $5,000 or individual pours of each vintage with the price varying per bottle. Chapter Three also includes the oldest whiskey ever released in The Balvenie’s 130-year history. The 55-year-old single cask whiskey was put into cask in 1961 by David Stewart himself, and features notes of toffee and butterscotch, with a floral yet spicy nose.
The exclusive five-bottle set includes: a 1961 aged 55 years, cask 4193, 8556 European Oak Oloroso sherry hogshead, filled June 14, 1961 with 41.7 percent ABV; a 1973 aged 43 years, cask 8556, European oak Oloroso sherry butt, filled June 7, 1973 with 46.6 percent ABV; a 1981 aged 35 years, cask 7824, Refill American oak hogshead, filled October 29, 1981, with 43.8 percent ABV; a 1993 aged 23 years, cask 11621, Refill American oak hogshead, filled December 6, 1993, with 51.9 percent ABV; and a 2004 aged 13 years, cask 741, European oak Oloroso sherry butt, filled January 2004 with 58.2 percent ABV. Packaged in walnut and brass frame crafted by Scottish craftsman Sam Chinnery, each set is engraved with a number, showing it is just one of 50 sets available worldwide.
The Balvenie is the only distillery that still grows its own barley, using traditional floor maltings and employs both coppersmiths and coopers on site.
