Product Launch - US: William Grant & Sons' The Balvenie 17-Year-Old DoubleWood

The World's Most Handcrafted Single Malt Scotch Whisky Celebrates 50th Anniversary of Balvenie Malt Master David Stewart With Significant Addition to Core Range

NEW YORK, Sept. 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Balvenie, the world's most handcrafted single malt Scotch whisky, today announced the launch of a new expression: The Balvenie 17 Year Old DoubleWood to commemorate Malt Master David Stewart's 50th anniversary.  Available nationwide beginning October 2012, this rich and complex addition is the first 17 Year Old expression to join The Balvenie's core range of single malts, alongside the 12 Year Old DoubleWood, 14 Year Old Caribbean Cask, 15 Year Old Single Barrel, and 21 Year Old PortWood.

To craft The Balvenie 17 Year Old DoubleWood, Scotland's longest-serving Malt Master, David Stewart, returned to one of his most celebrated achievements – consecutive maturation in two different types of cask, a process often referred to as 'cask finishing'.  This technique is at the heart of The Balvenie DoubleWood – it sees the whisky matured first in American oak barrels, which impart soft, sweet vanilla notes, before being transferred to European oak sherry casks, where the second cask ageing adds rich spicy flavors to enhance the depth and fullness of the whisky.

Stewart first showcased his craftsmanship when he created The Balvenie Classic in the 1980s, and his innovative approach to cask finishing has since set a new standard in single malts. The success of The Balvenie Classic led to the eventual release of The Balvenie 12 Year Old DoubleWood in 1993, a celebrated example of cask finishing, which is now the hallmark of The Balvenie range.

"It has been a real pleasure to create the DoubleWood 17 Year Old, and I am delighted with the way it has turned out, as I hope Balvenie enthusiasts will be," said Malt Master David Stewart. "Wherever I travel in the world, DoubleWood 12 Year Old is the expression that people are most likely to have enjoyed. It is also one of the whiskies I am most proud of when I look back over my 50 years at the distillery, which is why it has been so exciting to create this new older version."

The Balvenie 17 Year Old DoubleWood is an expertly proportioned single malt with distinctive rich vanilla oak, honeyed sweetness and layers of spices.  On the nose, it is elegant and complex with oak, vanilla, honey and a hint of green apple. To taste, it is sweet with dried fruits, sherbet spice, toasted almonds and cinnamon, layered with a richness of creamy toffee notes and traces of oak and deep vanilla.

The Balvenie 17 Year Old DoubleWood is available throughout the U.S. starting in October 2012 with a recommended retail price of $129.99.

Original source: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-balvenie-launches-17-year-old-doublewood-170017696.html