The Balvenie has released its latest 50-year-old Scotch whisky. The first release of The Balvenie Fifty since 2002 and the third overall, Marriage 0962 was sourced from four American Oak casks that were aged for 50 years or more.
Malt Master David C. Stewart was given the difficult task of marrying the whisky, which varied wildly from cask to cask before vatting. “Marrying aged whisky stocks is undoubtedly one of the most challenging, yet enjoyable facets of my role as The Balvenie malt master. This was a chance to explore the furthest reaches of our precious aged stocks and see how their extremes could be controlled and combined. Despite enjoying more than 55 years in the business, I’m still discovering and learning new things about the science and art of whisky making. The creation of Marriage 0962 took months of patience to complete, as we’re dealing with liquids with extremes in ABV, taste, and age. It’s not every day I get the opportunity to work with liquids of such age, so it was a huge pleasure to be able to share it with the world today,” Stewart said in a statement.
The finish is long and lingering with dried fruits, vanilla, oak, and spice notes, bottled at 41.6% ABV and presented in a wooden tub comprised of 50 layers, 48 of walnut and two of brass, handcrafted by a Scottish wood craftsman, $38,000 for a 750ml bottle.