William Grant & Sons has introduced four bottles of rare expression The Balvenie Sixty to travel retail. The release pays tribute to The Balvenie Malt Master David C. Stewart MBE, who completed six decades at the family-owned distillery in 2022, making him the longest serving Malt Master in industry history.
The single cask selected to honour his career was chosen by The Balvenie Malt Master Kelsey McKechnie, who has been mentored by Stewart over the past five years since she assumed the role.
The Balvenie Sixty, a single cask bottling from 1962, is the distillery’s oldest whisky. Just one bottle is available to purchase at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol through the ExQuisite store, Taipei Taoyuan Airport Terminal 2, Dubai International Airport (DXB) Terminal 3 and Incheon International Airport. Only 71 bottles of the limited edition have been released worldwide.
The 42.4% ABV expression is being showcased via a series of activations throughout July to the end of August at Amsterdam Schiphol, Taipei Taoyuan and DXB. The Incheon International Airport animation will be unveiled later this year.
In Amsterdam, consumers can participate in a high-end auction for The Balvenie Sixty bottle – hosted in partnership with Schiphol Airport Retail. The highest bidder will be announced in early September. For those not participating in the auction, the bottle is displayed throughout July and August in Amsterdam Schiphol’s ExQuisite store on a plinth that lists anecdotes from Stewart’s career.
Schiphol Airport Retail Deputy Managing Director/Head of Operations Martine de Lang said, “We’re delighted to be partnering with William Grant & Sons to offer our customers the special opportunity to own a coveted bottle of The Balvenie Sixty.
“The auction creates anticipation and excitement among travellers; the thrill of bidding and the allure of owning a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ rare whisky gives us an amazing point-of-difference. It’s the perfect attraction to drive consumer footfall and we can’t wait for the build-up to begin.”
The Taipei Taoyuan Airport pop-up installation is designed to take travellers on a journey through the different decades of The Balvenie. The immersive activation features historical bottles from each decade of Stewart’s career, accompanied by a soundscape that features ambient sounds from the distillery.
An audio guide narrated by The Balvenie Global Ambassador Charles Metcalfe and The Balvenie Taiwan Ambassador Daniel Shen guides passengers through the brand history. Those interested in learning more about The Balvenie travel retail-exclusive whiskies can head to the campaign microsite.
A toast to craftsmanship: Watch this video to uncover what went behind creating The Balvenie Sixty’s characteristic portrait
William Grant & Sons Managing Director Global Travel Retail David Wilson said, “The Balvenie Sixty is a landmark bottling that pays fitting tribute to David’s career at The Balvenie and recognises his incomparable contribution to the whisky industry at large.
“The fact that we have made four bottles – out of just 71 worldwide – available to these four key airports highlights the status and significance of the travel retail channel and what a valued showcase it is for luxury releases such as this masterpiece.
“We are hugely excited to join forces with our valued retailer and airport authority partners to highlight this rare and special bottling to discerning whisky drinkers and new travelling consumers.” ✈
