Balvenie was built by William Grant in 1892 and remains part of his family's company to this day. In the early part of its history, its purpose was primarily for the provision of malt for Grant's blends, however following the global success of Glenfiddich, the Balvenie single malt brand was launched in 1973. It remained a rarity though, and it was not until the opening of Kininvie in 1990, and later Ailsa Bay in Girvan, that the distillery was given the freedom to focus on its single malt. Today it is one of the best recognised brands in the world. In 1993 they launched the 12 year old "DoubleWood," an expression credited with pioneering the use of cask-finishing, and this has become a key motif for the distillery's output in recent times. As with the other releases of Balvenie Tun 1401, these whiskies are hand-selected by Malt Master David Stewart. Seven traditional whisky casks and three sherry butts are combined and rested for several months in Tun 1401 – The Balvenie’s traditional oak marrying vessel. One of 2226 bottles. The Tun 1401 batches were bottled between 2010 and 2013 before being replaced with Tun 1509.
