The Balvenie Single Malt Scotch Whisky is bringing back a whisky icon: Single Barrel 12 Year Old, a balanced whisky matured for 12 years in ex-bourbon barrels. 

A previous collection within The Balvenie range, Single Barrel, originally launched in 2013, was a popular series of single barrel releases from the distillery. Despite its popularity, due to stock restraints, The Balvenie stopped bottling the range in 2022. 

Today, the brand finds itself in a fortunate position, thanks to the distillery’s discovery of exceptional liquid, where it can run an exclusive bottling of the Single Barrel 12-Year-Old. Each barrel of Single Barrel 12 Year Old is selected by Malt Master Kelsey McKechnie and yields no more than 300 individually numbered bottles, emphasizing their unique origins. Each bottle showcases The Balvenie’s signature honeyed house style with beautiful, sweet fruits and light spice. 

“Part of the beauty of whisky making is that no two casks are quite the same, and I am immensely proud that we can reintroduce the Single Barrel 12 Year Old,” McKechnie said in a news release. “The fact we’re able to create this expression is a testament to the vast selection of quality casks in our warehouse and the care that has been taken to ensure trust in our liquid, our barrels and our approach to whisky making. The Single Barrel bottling allows us to celebrate the character of our house style and these bottlings embody who we are at The Balvenie.” 

Bottled at 47.8% ABV, The Balvenie Single Barrel 12 Year Old is a non-chill filtered release, matured entirely in white American oak ex-bourbon barrels. By preserving the natural flavor and aroma compounds typically removed during chill filtration, this whisky retains the full depth of its rich character. The resulting liquid lets The Balvenie’s signature honey character and the true essence of its world-renowned spirit shine through.

The Balvenie Single Barrel 12 Year Old is a beautifully balanced whisky, offering a nose rich with sweet toffee, vanilla, and honey, complemented by subtle spice and delicate toasted oak. On the palate, it features runny honey and soft, sweet cereal notes, revealing a lively citrus zing alongside sweet fruits and gentle spice. The finish is long and lingering, leaving a lasting impression of honey, vanilla, and light spice, with a subtle touch of citrus. 

“Single Barrel 12 Year Old gained a loyal following when first introduced, cherished for its familiar honeyed sweetness that is quintessentially The Balvenie, and rich, fruity notes that immediately take center stage,” Naomi Leslie, U.S. Brand Ambassador, said. “David Stewart, Kelsey’s predecessor and the man who helped shape The Balvenie as we know it, always believed American oak perfectly showcased our distinct distillery flavor. The Single Barrel 12 Year Old embodies that philosophy perfectly, and we can’t wait to share it with consumers once again.”

The Balvenie Single Barrel 12 Year Old will be available while supplies last at whisky retail outlets and premium establishments in the U.S. for an MSRP of $79.99. For more information, visit https://shop.us.thebalvenie.com/.

Read more: The Balvenie Releases ‘A Revelation of Cask and Character’