The Balvenie
Tun 1401 produces another new whisky.
The
latest release from David Stewart,
Scotch whisky’s most experienced Malt
Master, is The Balvenie Tun 1401 Batch
5, an outstanding single malt married
from just nine casks of the distillery’s
characteristic spirit. The latest
release follows the success of one of
its predecessors – Batch 3 – which
collected a Double Gold Medal at the
recent San Francisco World Spirits
Competition.
To craft The Balvenie Tun 1401, David
Stewart hand selected the aged whisky
which had been maturing in five
traditional American oak casks from
1966, 1972, 1973, 1974 and 1991 and four sherry
butts distilled in 1970, 1971, 1972 and
1975 in Warehouse 24. After selection,
the contents were transferred into the
impressive Tun 1401 – a traditional oak
marrying vessel cared for by the
distillery’s onsite team of coopers.
Several months later emerged an
exceptionally complex single malt Scotch
whisky whose constituent parts aged
across decades have come together to
meet David’s exacting standards.
Celebrating his 50th year at The
Balvenie Distillery and commenting on
the new release, David Stewart said:
"Working with whiskies of this age is
both a delight and a challenge as their
individual characteristics are so rich
and complex. Determining which ones will
work together takes time and it is
important to do justice to them. Five
very rare crafts and a long wait have
gone into making these vintage whiskies
and it’s important this single malt
meets the expectations of what has
become a sought after release by our
drinkers."
Upon pouring, a profusion of fragrant
fruit is brought to the nose before
sweet vanilla emerges alongside honey
and spices. The taste is a velvety
smooth balance between sweetness and oak
tannin, underpinned by a sherried
character full of dried fruits and a
cinnamon and ginger spiciness. The
finish is rich, sweet and spicy.
Hand-bottled at The Balvenie Distillery
in Speyside, The Balvenie Tun 1401 Batch
5 has an ABV of 50.1% and will be
available worldwide, from June 2012 at
an RRP of £160.99. Batch 4 is available
exclusively through travel retail
outlets.
Other Balvenie Tun 1401 Batches
Balvenie Tun 1401 Batch 1
The first batch was made for distillery
visitors only, and was created from 6
casks – a 1973 Sherry Butt, a 1972
Sherry Hogshead and American casks from
1966, 1974, 1978 and 1988.
Balvenie Tun 1401 Batch 2
Released only in the UK, Europe, Asia, and
South Africa and is made up of 10 casks,
mostly from the 1970s with one from the
1960s and one from the 1980s.
Balvenie Tun 1401 Batch 3
Similar to batch 2, but was made for US
distribution only. Due for release Fall
2011.
Video - Creation of Balvenie Tun 1401
Batch 3
Balvenie Tun 1401 Batch 4
Made for travel retail. Mr Stewart
normally allows three months for the
marrying period, but batch four was married for a
total of four months.
How do the batches differ?
When asked how he expects the batches to
differ, Balvenie Malt Master David Stewart
said, "…the batches do have some
similarity but if one were to line the
four batches up for sampling, which I
haven’t done yet, we might be surprised
by the differences that there are. I
think that each has this citrus orangey
flavour which seems consistent…"
Where To Buy The Balvenie Whisky
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