Simon Wittenberg takes a look at The Edge of Burnhead Wood 19-Year-Old, the first whisky to be made entirely from ingredients grown on The Balvenie’s Dufftown estate.
The Balvenie Distillery in Dufftown, Scotland, has added The Edge of Burnhead Wood 19-Year-Old to its Stories whisky collection. It joins the existing the trio of single malts, which were brought together in May 2019 to represent character, endeavour and generational knowledge.
Inspired by the fragrant, heather-coated highlands which surround the Scottish distillery in Banffshire, The Edge of Burnhead Wood, bottled at 48.7% ABV, celebrates the pastoral tale of how craftsmen experimented with The Balvenie distillery’s natural resources to find the perfect match between fresh heather and barley.
The expression is made from locally sourced ingredients found in the grounds of the distillery, namely barley malted at The Balvenie Maltings, water from the Robbie Dhu spring, and fresh heather from Burnhead Wood in East Lothian. This delivers the distinctive Balvenie taste, which boasts a delicate fruitiness, as well as notes of light spice and juicy fruits.
A balanced honeyed sweetness and spicy outburst with hints of cloves and caramelised baked dates develops to reveal an underlying oaky dryness, whilst a lingering oaky finish delivers notes of fragrant dried blossom.
Commenting on the release of The Edge of Burnhead Wood, The Balvenie Malt Master, David Stewart MBE, said: “Stories are the lifeblood of The Balvenie Distillery are deeply embedded in all the work that we do. The story behind The Edge of Burnhead Wood captures the majestic Speyside landscape and the inventive essence of The Balvenie’s loyal and determined craftspeople.
In this way, The Edge of Burnhead Wood sums up the spirit of the work carried out at The Balvenie Distillery; The Balvenie remains true to the techniques and stories passed down by its craftsmen from generation to generation, while also looking forward by exploring new techniques, flavours and marriages to develop unique and original Balvenie expressions.”
Drinkers can hear the story of The Edge of Burnhead Wood through a specially recorded podcast series, featuring the craftsmen behind the expression, as well as The Balvenie Global Ambassador Gemma Paterson and Malt Master David C. Stewart. This podcast can be accessed at Burnheadwood.com and on Spotify, and can be viewed by scanning a QR code on the bottle using a smartphone.
The Balvenie’s 70cl Edge of Burnhead Wood 19-Year-Old bottle comes in stylish cylinder-shaped packaging depicting a bespoke illustration from British artist and printmaker Andy Lovell. His work draws inspiration from The Balvenie distillery, and uses bold, hand-made gestural marks to build up images that capture the evocative light and atmosphere of the distillery’s landscape.
The Edge of Burnhead Wood 19-Year-Old is now on sale at selected whisky retailers (including The Whisky Shop, The Whisky Exchange, Master of Malt, and Grapevines), priced at £260.00 per bottle.
The entire Balvenie Stories collection is also available for purchase. The Sweet Toast of American Oak 12-Year-Old is priced at £45.00, The Week of Peat 14-Year-Old costs £65.00, and A Day of Dark Barley 26-Year-Old retails at £600.00.
The Balvenie Edge of Burnhead Wood 19-Year-Old – Where and How?
For further information and to view The Balvenie’s entire product range, visit www.burnheadwood.com and www.thebalvenie.com.
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