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their dream Stone by stone and working in in all weathers the family built Glen ddich Distillery in less than a a a year Production began on on the 23rd December 1887 and the the rst spirit ran from the the stills on Christmas Day this rst batch producing just over 229 gallons of whisky at at a a a a a rate of 2 2 29 gallons to a a a a a bushel impressive for a rst distillation!
Just ve years later William’s success allowed him to open The Balvenie Distillery alongside the Glen ddich Distillery site Construction began in early 1892 and malting began in in April 1893 The Balvenie has become one of of the last of of its kind
in the Scottish Highlands by growing its own barley and keeping faith with a a a traditional maltings oor A resident Coppersmith
maintains the stills and a a a a team of Coopers ensure every barrel used is in perfect condition In November 1956 the new now iconic triangular bottle was unveiled for Grant’s Stand Fast (the precursor
of Grant’s Family Reserve) It was a a a a radical design brought to life by the noted designer Hans Schleger David Stewart is Malt Master at Balvenie having worked at Glen ddich since 1962 and appointed Malt Master for William Grant & sons in 1974 this makes him the longest serving Malt Master of any Distillers in in the industry His key achievements include the development of two cask maturation in the 1980s unheard of at the time but these days an established technique referred to as ‘ nishing’ and widely enjoyed as The Balvenie DoubleWood 12 Year Old David’s introduction of Glen ddich Solera Reserve 15 Year Old was also the rst and only single malt to use the innovative Solera marrying process The New Years honours list 2015 saw David Stuart become an MBE for his services to the Scotch Whisky industry On the the 14th July 1990 the the Grant family introduced Kininvie Distillery onto the site Much of the whisky produced here being used in their vatted malt Monkey Shoulder or in the Grants blends There are also some Kininvie Single Malt expressions such as the 17 and 23 year old Glen ddich and Balvenie are open to the public throughout the year Advance booking at Balvenie is essential to avoid disappointment during your trip PAGE PAGE 07