William Grant & Sons has released – The Tale of the Dog – the latest addition to the Balvenie Stories range of single malt whiskies.
The whisky, which has been aged for 42 years, tells the story of one of Coppersmith Dennis McBain’s memories working at the distillery over 50 years ago. As a young apprentice, McBain remembers being asked for a copper dog – a little copper tube once used for siphoning off whisky straight from the cask – to be flattened and put back for its owner to find.
Gemma Paterson, Balvenie global ambassador, said: “This story captivates people across the world whenever our Ambassadors share it with them. It’s so exciting to be able to share it in the form of a whisky now to celebrate such a heart-warming story and one of our distillery’s best loved characters.”
David C. Stewart M.B.E. added: “The Tale of the Dog is one of the stories people most love hearing about The Balvenie – from a time when you used to wonder sometimes if the dogs were taking their share, as well as the angels. These two casks, from 1978 and 1974, are wonderful liquids chosen to represent the story.”
The Tale of the Dog’s packaging features a replica flattened copper dog, the bottle is encased in a wooden tube wrapped in leather, printed with a bespoke illustration, specific to the liquid, from British artist and printmaker Andy Lovell.
The Tale of the Dog joins four other liquids in the Stories range and will have a limited release. The new expression will be available from this month from select whisky retailers and retail at £9,000 per 70cl bottle.
