UK. William Grant & Sons Master Blender and Malt Master David Stewart has been honoured with the Lifetime Achievement accolade in Whisky Magazine‘s Icons of Whisky 2009 awards.
In the 46 years since he joined William Grant & Sons, Stewart has overseen the distiller’s award-winning range of single malts and blends: Glenfiddich, the handcrafted whiskies of The Balvenie Distillery and Grant’s Blended Scotch.
He has been responsible for a number of industry firsts, earning him some of whisky’s top accolades and helping William Grant & Sons become Distiller of the Year three times in a row. His key achievements include the development of The Balvenie DoubleWood 12yo (the first single malt to be finished in different woods) and Glenfiddich 15yo, the first single malt created using the Solera maturation system, the company said.
Born in Ayr on the west coast of Scotland in 1945, Stewart started work at William Grant & Sons as an apprentice in 1962. Following a 12-year apprenticeship at the independent family distillers, David was appointed Master Blender of William Grant & Sons in 1974 – a position he has held ever since.
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William Grant & Sons’ award-winning Malt Master and Master Blender, David Stewart, at The Balvenie Distillery in Speyside, Scotland. The Balvenie Signature Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 12 Years (above) was created by Stewart to celebrate his 45 years in whisky-making |
Characteristically modest, Stewart celebrated his 45th anniversary in the industry in 2008 in his own style – by quietly recreating his signature single malt, The Balvenie Signature, Aged 12 Years.
Collecting his award in London Stewart said: “I’m absolutely delighted and very flattered to be singled out for this award, but credit must also go to the craftsmen and my friends at William Grant & Sons, whose dedication and passion for whisky making has been a constant source of inspiration to me during my career in the company.”
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