The Balvenie has unveiled the latest expression in its Stories Range: A Revelation of Cask and Character. The new whisky is a limited-edition 19 Year Old and the only 100% Sherry cask-matured liquid in the brand’s range.
A Revelation of Cask and Character sits within The Balvenie’s Stories Range, which brings to life the tales of the people and places behind the Scotch, while celebrating the creativity, passion, and skills passed from one generation of craftsmen to the next. This edition honors expertise, intuition, and the craft of coopering by telling the tale of how Sherry casks became a staple part of Scotch whisky.
“Not many distillers have a Cooperage on site and it is so important to the development of our
exceptional whiskies,” says Malt Master Kelsey McKechnie. “Like the Sherry casks that give our
whiskies their unique flavor, our coopers have left an indelible mark on our production process. We have a collaborative process with our Coopers, which offers flexibility in ideas and innovation, allowing us to experiment with different casks to explore new flavors. With this release, I wanted to pay homage to their craftsmanship and dedication, which have helped shape the character of our whiskies today.”
A Revelation of Cask and Character also marks a new chapter for The Balvenie, as it is the first
release to be crafted solely by Kelsey McKechnie since it was announced she has stepped into the role of Malt Master for The Balvenie. As 2022 marked David C. Stewart, MBE’s 60th year at The Balvenie, the industry legend is now moving into a new role as Honorary Ambassador and Former Malt Master. In his new position, Stewart will focus on sharing his breadth of industry knowledge and legendary expertise. Following six years under the direction and apprenticeship of Stewart, Kelsey now takes on the full responsibility for all future innovation releases at the distillery.
“The introduction of A Revelation of Cask and Character reflects the dedication and skill, and
emphasises the credentials of the incredible craftspeople behind the whisky,” says Stewart. “Not only does this liquid tell the story of the cooper, but it is the first expression designed solely by Kelsey, in which she has mastered the understanding of not just whisky, but of wood, and its impact on the maturation process.”
The expression also heroes The Balvenie’s coopering team, including Head Cooper Ian McDonald, who started his career with an apprenticeship at The Balvenie in 1969. He says, “The coopering team plays a huge part in the creation of all The Balvenie whiskies. Our coopers work their way up through a four-year apprenticeship scheme with skills passed from generation to generation, contributing to the whisky creation through cask repair, as exemplified with the Spanish Sherry casks used for A Revelation of Cask and Character.”
“A Revelation of Cask and Character is a tribute to the expertise and skill of the team that develops our whisky, as well as The Balvenie’s legacy of innovation and craftsmanship,” says Naomi Leslie, The Balvenie US Ambassador. “The limited quantity of the expression means it will only be available for two years, making this liquid a great collectable and a story worth capturing.”
The elements of storytelling continue through the packaging, with an illustration by British artist and printmaker Andy Lovell, which depicts the cooperage at The Balvenie Distillery. Andy’s work, which draws its inspiration directly from the distillery, can also be seen across the labels and tubes for the entire Balvenie Stories Range.
The Balvenie will also be releasing a new episode of their popular podcast, The Balvenie Stories Series, to coincide with the release of A Revelation of Cask and Character.
Bottled at 47.5% ABV, The Balvenie’s A Revelation of Cask and Character is now available in limited quantities across the U.S. for $503.99 per bottle. For more information and purchasing details, visit the brand’s official website.
Previous releases in The Balvenie’s Stories range include The Tale of the Dog.