The Balvenie

William Grant built Balvenie in 1892-93 on a 12-acre (about 5 ha) site next to Glenfiddich. It was first called Glen Gordon and took its present name from the ruined castle next door; Balvenie New House, already derelict, was turned into maltings. For 80 years the distillery mainly supplied fillings for the family's Grant's blends, until the first official bottling in 1973. In 1993 it launched Double Wood, one of the first single malts finished in a second type of cask. It remains part of William Grant & Sons, the Grant family company.

Balvenie shares the large Grant estate at Dufftown, in the Speyside region, with Glenfiddich and the Kininvie distillery. ScotchWhisky.com notes that its floor maltings still supply up to 15% of each mash and that its nine short, wide stills give a sweet, honeyed new make unlike that of its neighbours.