The Balvenie Single Malt Scotch Whisky recently released the second edition of its Fifty Collection.
Malt Master Kelsey McKechnie expands the collection’s profile by combining the inaugural release, a rare single cask expression drawn exclusively from a European oak refill butt filled in 1973, with an American oak hogshead, also filled that year.
“The Balvenie Fifty Collection pays tribute to the makers, craftspeople and custodians who have watched over our liquid for the past five decades,” said The Balvenie Malt Master Kelsey McKechnie. “For The Second Edition, we selected an American oak hogshead filled in 1973 to build on the legacy of the inaugural release. The time spent maturing in American oak has nurtured a beautifully balanced character, with notes of sweet honey and warming oak. This profile was chosen to complement the European oak influence of The First Edition, creating a marriage of casks that brings both contrast and continuity to the flavor thread running through the trilogy. The collection reflects our respect for tradition and our commitment to looking to the future by preserving the rare crafts of whisky making from barley to bottle.”
A trilogy celebrating half a century of the Speyside distillery, the First Edition’s debuted in 2024, this Second Edition continues the journey of three unique releases that will culminate next year with the release of the Third Edition.
Each hand-blown bottle of The Balvenie Fifty Second Edition is individually numbered and housed in a case crafted by Croglin, a bespoke workshop in Cumbria. The design features seven layers of wood in a helix structure, a darker stain than the inaugural release, and a 14-carat gold-plated brass display.
Only 97 bottles of The Balvenie Fifty Second Edition will be available globally, with only 13 bottles available in the United States for $55,000.
