William Grant & Sons-owned distillery The Balvenie has unveiled The Rare Marriage line, a new range of premium single malts. The collection’s first release and hero product is The Balvenie Twenty-Five, with two other expressions to follow.
The Balvenie Rare Marriages collection will be progressively launched with selected travel retailers from July of 2021.
The Rare Marriages collection pays homage to The Balvenie Malt Master David C. Stewart’s six-decade Scotch whisky career. It combines the skill and artistry of traditional oak Tun marriages with liquid from European and American casks.
As the name suggests, The Balvenie Twenty-Five is aged for 25 years. It is a 48% ABV natural-coloured, non-chill filtered liquid.
Malt Master David C. Stewart MBE — the longest-serving Malt Master in Scotch whiskey — has combined liquid from individual casks to create “an incredibly intricate and balanced expression”, the brand company said.
The liquid offers soft autumn fruits, honey and crystallised ginger with an underlying oakiness on the nose. Its taste profile combines bold vanilla flavours with layers of toasted marshmallows, fruit terrine and cinnamon-infused apple tart. It finishes with long-lasting sweetness.
The Balvenie Twenty-Five ABV 48% is presented in a striking case, which symbolises the complex flavours in the marrying process. The case features etched golden rings for every year of maturation.
Further expressions to be released from the Rare Marriages line are The Balvenie Thirty (ABV 44.2%) and The Balvenie Forty (Cask Strength).
Commenting on the new line, Stewart said: “The Balvenie has incredible depth of flavour, and our Rare Marriages Range is designed to unveil intricacies of our whisky in a bold marriage of extraordinary character. This range reflects the very essence of luxury through the experience of layers of flavours.
“On the surface, the first release of The Balvenie Twenty-Five expression is immediately recognisable as The Balvenie with the distinct rich honey and underlying rich oakiness however when given time, the flavour unfolds to reveal a whole new depth — from toasted marshmallow and caramelised pear to citrus richness and mellow oakiness,” Stewart added.
“Made from casks that have stood the important test of time, this special whisky has a distinct profile and experience which we have designed to reveal the wonderful depth of The Balvenie Single Malt.”
William Grant & Sons Head of Customer Marketing Greater Travel Retail Lindsay Rae-Hizeroth added, “The Balvenie Twenty-Five reflects the unparalleled mastery and dedication of David C. Stewart MBE, the longest-serving Malt Master in the Scotch whisky industry. We are excited to release this premium expression into the global travel retail market this Summer.”
Talking about prospects in the travel retail channel, Rae-Hizeroth said, “The timing is also exciting as airports across the world begin to resume operations — after this very difficult period for the industry in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“There is sure to be pent-up demand from travellers seeking premium expressions as they travel again; and we are confident the Balvenie Twenty-Five will have the stand-out shelf appeal to help satisfy that demand.
“Together with a very select group of retail partners, we look forward to introducing the full Balvenie Rare Marriages Range to GTR later this year.”
