The Balvenie Unveils The 1931 Collection
The Balvenie has unveiled The 1931 Collection, a trio of limited editions featuring an 88 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky – the oldest ever released by the brand – alongside 12 and 15 year old expressions.
The Balvenie 1931 Collection 88 Year Old
Distilled in 1931 – the same year that the distillery opened its home malting floor – The 1931 Collection 88 Year Old was matured in a single European oak sherry butt sourced from Jerez, Spain. This cask, #239, was bottled in 2019 at 43.2% ABV, yielding just 17 bottles.
The 1931 Collection 88 Year Old is described as having aromas of “honey, subtle mint leaf, and buttery fudge flowing into a whisper of light earthiness, intwined with floral heather tones, damp bracken, and worn leather.” The palate exhibits “rich aromatic oak flowing into creamy toffee, velvety honey, and a warming spice, slowly revealing deep heather and woodland ferns.” The finish is “long and drying.”
The Balvenie has collaborated with artist Daniel Arsham to design a sculptural form for the 88 Year Old, presented in his signature style as a time worn relic. Crafted from eight flowing layers, one for each decade, the fascia is made with hand-patinated bronze that mirrors the textures and colors found across the distillery and the oxidation that happens naturally on copper over time. The reverse is made from 88 symbolic layers of oak. At the center is a copper disc crafted from a decommissioned distillery still, a physical piece of The Balvenie’s history embedded within the sculpture. The whisky itself is housed in a hand-blown crystal decanter. Featuring ‘The Balvenie Ball’, inspired by the unique shape of the distillery’s copper stills, the decanter sits as though uncovered at the centre of Arsham’s relic, engraved with 18ct gold gilding and polished to perfection.
The Balvenie 1931 Collection 88 Year Old is available to private clients and collectors through the distillery for an undisclosed price.
The Balvenie 1931 Collection 12 Year Old
Made from 100% Home Malted Barley, The 1931 Collection 12 Year Old was initially matured in American oak casks before being finished in ex-Sherry Bodega European oak butts from Jerez, Spain and bottled at 47.8% ABV.
The 1931 Collection 12 Year Old is described as having aromas of “warm biscuit and honeyed notes of creamy toffee, delicate ginger, and aromatic oak.” The palate is exhibits “a mellow barley sugar sweetness, warming into crystallised ginger, delicate raisin, and a spiced richness.” The finish is “rich, velvety and smooth.”
The 1931 Collection 12 Year Old is presented in heavily debossed and tactile exterior packaging, with green hues and a copper tone that echo the Verdigris patina of the 88 Year Old sculpure’s eight layers.
The 1931 Collection 12 Year Old is available through select retail markets for a suggested retail price of $99.99.
The Balvenie 1931 Collection 15 Year Old
Made from 100% Home Grown and Home Malted Barley, The 1931 Collection 15 Year Old was initially matured in American oak casks before being finished in ex-Sherry Bodega European oak butts from Jerez, Spain and bottled at 47.8% ABV.
The 1931 Collection 15 Year Old is described as having aromas of “sweet cereal and a rising earthiness, unfolding into freshly toasted oak and spiced citrus fruits.” The palate exhibits “rich oak and sweet vanilla leading into notes of raisin and delicate red berries, carried by a flowing honey sweetness.” The finish is “nutty and lingering, with a delicate sweetness.”
The 1931 Collection 15 Year Old is presented in the same heavily debossed and tactile exterior packaging as the 1931 Collection 12 Year Old, with green hues and a copper tone that echo the Verdigris patina of the 88 Year Old sculpure’s eight layers.
The 1931 Collection 15 Year Old is available exclusively through global travel retail outlets for a suggested retail price of $199.99.
Source: The Balvenie.