The WHISKY still in its cradle

DUFFTOWN, NOT FAR from Edinburgh, Scotland, is essentially the “whisky capital of the world” thanks to its long, rich history in making whisky, dating back to the Middle Ages, and its active distilleries galore that attract whisky lovers from all over the world.
This small town with only four roads surprisingly produces more whisky that any other locale in Scotland. You get to taste a lot of interesting whiskies here, but Dufftown has a variety of respected distilleries where you can learn more about the art and science involved, and thus boost your appreciation of your favourite dram.
The town’s largest employer is apparently William Grant and Sons, the independent, family-owned firm that produces Glenfiddich single malt, Hendrick’s Gin, Tullamore Dew, Monkey Shoulder triple malt and many others.
The company also produces Balvenie premium single-malt whisky – the rich, honeyed, smooth blend favoured by many fans. If you want to know how whisky is made traditionally, the Balvenie Distillery is the place to go – this is the only distillery in the Highlands that handcrafts its nectar, with heavy dependence on the traditional ways.
In 1886 William Grant and his nine children laid the foundation stone for the Glenfiddich Distillery, and produced the first batch of whisky the following year. In 1892 they bought neighbouring land and converted an 18th-century mansion into another distillery, and on May 1, 1893, the first distillation took place at the Balvenie Distillery. It has never stopped since.
Taking pride in its traditional arts, Balvenie is the only single-malt-whisky distillery that still grows and malts its own barley. Each year they sow barley on the 1,000-acre Balvenie Mains. The only concession they make to the 21st century is the use of a combine harvester when the crop is ripe for harvesting.
While other distilleries resort to machinery, Balvenie maintains a working malting floor. After steeping the grain in spring water from the hills above the distillery, the grains are spread across the floor. The barley warms up as it starts to germinate and needs to do so evenly, so four “malt men” turn it over up to four times a day, until it’s ready for the kiln. Here it’s dried using carefully judged amounts of peat that adds such unique complexity to the whisky.
“We do it the traditional way, the way they did it hundreds and hundreds of years ago,” says David Mair, our guide and the Balvenie Distillery Ambassador. “It costs more and produces less compared to using machines, of course, but we prefer to do it this way and will continue to do so. It’s not because we want to say, ‘Hey, it’s hand-made’ to add value to the price tag. We just want to preserve the old ways. We care very much about the craft and want to pass it on, keep it alive.”
This compact, peaceful distillery is almost 100 per cent self-contained. Balvenie even employs its own coppersmith to keep the stills in mint condition. And, near the warehouses, you’ll hear banging from the on-site cooperage, where the casks are prepared and repaired. The coopers’ responsibility is to “toast” the casks just enough to open the pores of the wood, but not so much as to burn.
The wizard that orchestrates the final process in making the whisky is Balvenie’s secret weapon, malt master David Stewart. Over 50 years, Stewart has been making tough decisions in a bid to maintain the whisky’s most loved characteristics. He decides which casks will be used to craft Balvenie DoubleWood, which is allowed to slumber for two further decades.
“I’ve sampled literally thousands of casks,” Stewart says, “and this means I know what to expect when your spirit is matured solely in traditional, American-oak casks. This allows me to pick out the whisky that displays the rich, sweet and spicy character I’m looking for.”
His unmatched expertise ensures that each “expression” in the range makes the absolute best of the complex alchemy of spirit, wood and time. It was Stewart who pioneered the “finishing” technique some 30 years ago, in which a whisky is aged in two types of casks to offer richer, more complex and subtle tastes and aromas.
In Thailand only the core products of the Balvenie are available. You can get DoubleWood 12 Years Old and 17 Years Old, Single Barrel 15 Years Old, Portwood 21 Years Old and Thirty, but if you come across some of the distillery’s limited editions, grab a bottle or two, because they don’t make them very often.
The most in demand is the Balvenie Fifty. This velvety smooth whisky was matured in European-oak sherry hogsheads, rarely used today in making whisky, filled with newly distilled spirit in 1962, and aged for two generations. The Balvenie Fifty is presented in a bottle of hand-blown glass in a wooden case created by Scottish furniture designer Sam Chinnery.
There are 49 rings of seven beautiful Scottish-grown timbers to mark David Stewart’s near-half century at the Balvenie distillery. Only 88 bottles are produced globally.

TIPPLE TOUR
The Balvenie hosts tours Monday through Thursday at 10am and 2pm and on Fridays at 10am.
Admission is 35 pounds (Bt1,925) and you need to be at least 18 years old to enter. Reservations are recommended.
Find out more at www.TheBalvenie.com.