Scotland, Speyside. Distillery operational. Owner: William Grant & Sons Ltd. Independent & family-owned.

Built on the site of the Glenfiddich distillery near Dufftown in Speyside, Balvenie was developed by the family-owned company William Grant & Sons. Much loved by enthusiasts for the purity of its spirit and the elegance of its maturations, Balvenie gradually moved out from the guardianship of its illustrious sister and, in the late 1990s, became a single malt highly prized by collectors for its vintage single casks The Balvenie 1961 and The Balvenie 1968 and, more recently, for its limited editions, such as The Balvenie 1937 and The Balvenie 1952. With a rustic style, the character of its distillate offers many possibilities for partial and full ageing in rum, sherry, port and even new oak casks, further expanding the field of possibilities in terms of both tasting experiences and limited editions.

A Balvenie 10 Year Old Founder’’s Reserve. Created by master blender David Stewart, this is a blend of whisky aged in bourbon and sherry casks. Launched in the early 1980s, various editions of this bottling were released, including some very memorable versions like the first editions that resembled a cognac bottle. Founder’’s Reserve was discontinued in 2009 in favour of the current range, which is more focused on finishes and original casks, like the famous Balvenie Caribbean Cask rum cask finish.