\nThe Tale of the Dog is a deliciously smooth and honeyed expression of The Balvenie. Available at global travel retail outlets, the 46-year-old variation is luxuriously rich where spice and subtle hints of liquorice are met with dashes of bergamot. A masterful work from The Balvenie, it offers the nose a sumptuously extravagant aroma with flavours reminiscent of roasted red currants and treacle, perfectly wrapped in flavours of eucalyptus and menthol from toasted oak. For the taste buds, it delights with a richness that soon surpasses to reveal silky a honey and toffee sweetness.<\/p>\n
The 42-year-old domestic release represents a \u2018beautiful classic\u2019 proffering a soft sweet fragrance from ripe dates with hints of toffee, and revealing notes of geranium oil and a subtle mint musk. The dates and toffee coat the mouth in a light nutty spice with toasted oak to offer the perfect balance of flavours.<\/p>\n
David Wilson, Managing Director for Global Travel at William Grant & Sons said, \u201cThe Balvenie \u2018Tale of the Dog\u2019 release, is an amazing story which has been brought to life in this very rare 46yo single cask offering which is being made available exclusively for Travel Retail. Beyond its rarity as a single cask offering, our Malt Master David Stewart M.B.E and Apprentice Malt Master Kelsey McKechnie, selected this exceptional cask, paying homage to our long-serving coppersmith Dennis McBain and his tireless service while revealing a little secret found within our distillery. This is an exceptional whisky from Balvenie which we are delighted to showcase to the whisky community through several our global partners.”<\/em><\/p>\n The Creation of a Classic celebrates the story of The Balvenie Malt Master \u2013 the longest serving malt master in the industry \u2013 David Stewart MBE, who pioneered the first cask-finished whisky in 1983, The Balvenie Classic. It was created by transferring Balvenie whisky matured in traditional oak barrel to sweet Oloroso sherry casks. This new expression in The Balvenie Stories range brings to life the story of the Classic, and showcases the same process – the choice of wood, the warehousing, the testing and tasting all playing a part in its masterful success. As its iconic predecessor, The Creation of a Classic is matured in American oak casks and finished in sweet Oloroso Sherry casks, offering an innovative reinterpretation of The Balvenie Classic.<\/p>\n An enduring legacy<\/strong> The captivating story behind The Tale of the Dog was inspired by the memories of Dennis McBain, a long-time Coppersmith at The Balvenie Distillery. As a young apprentice, fresh to the world of whisky-making, Dennis was asked by a brewer for a copper dog, which he soon discovered was a little copper tube used for secretly siphoning off whisky from the cask. The copper dog would then be flattened and put back for his owner to be found as a way of calling out the illicit activity. Thus, expressions such as \u2018taking the dog for a walk\u2019 became common at the distillery, with whomever the copper dog had been sent to understanding full well that he\u2019d been discovered but given a second chance. This recollection went on to inspire McBain\u2019s suggesting of using dogs instead of unwieldy valinches for distillery tour tastings, a protocol which remains today.<\/p>\n
\nCommenting on the release of The Balvenie Stories in Global Travel Retail, The Balvenie Malt Master David Stewart MBE says: \u201cThe Balvenie Distillery is built on stories. It\u2019s what sets us apart and makes our whisky what it is. Each expression in the Stories range has a distinct narrative as to how it came to be, and each whisky tells its unique tale in liquid form through first-hand recollections of the many characters involved.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.dutyfreehunter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Balvenie_TaleOfTheDog_46yo_750ml_Case_5010327545134_OpenBox-2.jpg\")