By Speyside distillery, The Balvenie, has announced the release of the Second Edition in one of its rarest collections to date
Kuala Lumpur, 10 December 2025 – Comprising three individual bottlings – The First, Second, and Third Editions – The Fifty Collection stands as a tribute to tradition, expertise, and the enduring spirit of The Balvenie. For The Second Edition, Malt Master Kelsey McKechnie expands the profile by marrying the inaugural release – a rare single cask expression drawn exclusively from a European oak refill butt filled in 1973 – with a second: an American oak hogshead, also filled in 1973.
The Second Edition of The Balvenie Fifty Collection showcases flavours of molten dates, sweet soft currants and a subtle citrus zest, layered over creamy honey and a buttery finish. Only 97 bottles will be available globally, marking one of the rarest and most interesting releases ever from The Balvenie Distillery. The Second Edition will be available exclusively in Harrods from Friday 1 August throughout the month before being available in select retailers worldwide.
The collection is a seamless trilogy that celebrates the stories of craftsmanship at the distillery over the past 50 years. Each edition showcases a distinct maturation journey, inspired by the rich tapestry of experiences shared by the dedicated makers who have nurtured the whisky over five decades.
Kelsey McKechnie, The Balvenie Malt Master, said:
“The Balvenie Fifty Collection pays tribute to the makers, craftspeople and custodians who have watched over our liquid for the past five decades. It’s a privilege to select the casks which make up this celebration of our legacy and I am thrilled that we can finally share this special dram.”
“Marrying together rare casks to create something extraordinary is a fitting testament to the stories that precede each cask. For The Second Edition, we selected an American oak hogshead filled in 1973 to build on the legacy of the inaugural release. The time spent maturing in American oak has nurtured a beautifully balanced character, with notes of sweet honey and warming oak. This profile was chosen to complement the European oak influence of The First Edition, creating a marriage of casks that brings both contrast and continuity to the flavour thread running through the trilogy. The collection reflects our respect for tradition and our commitment to looking to the future by preserving the rare crafts of whisky making from barley to bottle.”
The Balvenie craftspeople, led by the former Malt Master David C. Stewart, came together in 1973 to fill this cask, starting decades of watchful stewardship and marking the beginning of The Balvenie Fifty Collection’s journey. Many of those craftspeople still work for The Balvenie today; through their dedication to the brand’s five rare crafts, many new practices in whisky making have been put in place over the last half a century. The discovery of cask finishings being one of the most poignant. Today, Kelsey continues this legacy with her approach to marrying and remarrying of casks, creating a signature flavour profile across The Balvenie Collection that is complex and unique to each edition.
The Fifty Collection is enhanced by the packaging developed by Croglin; a bespoke craft workshop based in Cumbria, United Kingdom. Each presentation contains over 100 different elements, including seven layers of wood in the helix structure less than 1/10th of a millimetre thick and a crafted 14 carat gold plated brass display. In comparison to the inaugural release, The Second Edition will display a darker wood stain applied to the grain, while each hand-blown bottle will be individually numbered. The Balvenie Fifty Second Edition, bottled at 49.8% ABV, will be released in early 2026. Only one bottle will be available in Malaysia, exclusively at The Chamber, Starhill Kuala Lumpur. Private purchase inquiries may be directed to jeremy@wonderfulbev.com. Learn more about The Balvenie Fifty Collection here.