Picture by John Paul PhotographyThe drinks industry has been left shaken and stirred by results at this year’s ISC competition. In a feat similar to Mark Spitz’s 1972 Munich Olympic heroics, The Balvenie® Single Malt Scotch Whisky has dominated the event by winning six gold medals for its range of products, more than any other spirit brand. It is also the biggest gold medal haul for any brand in any one year since the competition began.
Produced by independent, family-owned William Grant & Sons Ltd, The Balvenie won gold medals for its Founder’s Reserve 10 Year Old, DoubleWood 12 Year Old, NewWood 17 Year Old, PortWood 21 Year Old, Thirty and PortWood 1991 variants. The Company also won four other golds for its Grant’s Premium 12 Year Old, Grant’s Deluxe 15 Year Old, Grant’s 25 Year Old and The Gordon Highlander whiskies and follows on from Glenfiddich’s 2005 success when it won more gold medals than any other single malt at IWSC.
With the win, The Balvenie Distillery in Dufftown is the toast of Speyside. It is the only distillery still to grow its own barley, still malt on its traditional floor maltings, still have its own coopers to tend the casks and still have its own coppersmith to maintain the stills, so the employees are thrilled that their craftsmanship and time-honoured skills have been so highly rewarded.
Commenting on the amazing medal haul, David Stewart, The Balvenie Malt Master, said: “We have always believed that The Balvenie is one of the best drops of malt whisky around, but dominating such a large competition as the ISC and winning six gold medals is beyond our wildest dreams. All of the employees are delighted that the distillery has been given such a massive seal of approval. They thoroughly deserve the credit for all the hard work they have put in to creating a great dram and a new drinks industry record.”
