Tun 1401 is a very special vatting from the Balvenie’s Warehouse 24, one of the oldest areas of the distillery grounds and home to some of the most special casks in Speyside. It was conceived by the Balvenie’s malt master David Stewart, who was so inspired by the magical atmosphere inside Warehouse 24, that he created Tun 1401 to capture the essence of it in a bottle.
There are 4 batches of Tun 1401, each with unique characteristics and ingredients. They were made under the guidance of Mr. Stewart, who hand selected every cask and monitored each batch as they “married” over a three month period.
The first batch was made for distillery visitors only, and was created from 6 casks – a 1973 Sherry Butt, a 1972 Sherry Hogshead and American casks from 1966, 1974, 1978 and 1988.
Batch 2 was released only in Europe, Asia, and South Africa and is made up of 10 casks, mostly from the 1970s with one from the 1960s and one from the 1980s.
Batch 3 is a similar to batch 2, but was made for US distribution only.
Batch 4 was made for travel retail and is still marrying inside Warehouse 24 (as of late October ’11), where it will stay until the end of the year. Mr Stewart normally allows three months for the marrying period, but batch four will marry for a total of four months.
When asked how he expects the batches to differ, Mr Stewart said, “…the batches do have some similarity but if one were to line the four batches up for sampling, which I haven’t done yet, we might be surprised by the differences that there are. I think that each has this citrus orangey flavour which seems consistent…”
Visit our range to discover the rest of the Balvenie’s hand crafted single malts.
I think there is a typo in the first part of the article. It says “who was so inspired by the magically atmosphere.” Is it supposed to be “magical atmosphere”
Just wanted to point that out. Love your scotch and the Tun 1401 sounds wonderful.
Your admiration is greatly appreciated Scott! And thank you for having a keen eye. We’ve corrected the error.
I’ve been a big fan of Balvenie for years! Here’s an idea. How about fashioning a concave flask made of glass and embossed in leather. It would make a great travel companion for Tun 1401!
I have been lucky enough to try this fantastic scotch about a month ago at The National Scotch Society Convention in Boston. Words can’t express how incredible it really is. I thoroughly enjoyed its complexity and its wide range of notes. I was lucky enough to grab a couple bottles to retail in my store. I’m sure they will disappear quickly.
Cheers
Gino
Just ordered one. Previous “best” Balvenie I’ve purchased was a 25YO single cask.
Hoping for great things from Tun 1401 series 3!
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[...] Balvenie Tun 1401 Batch #3. Wow. The third in a series of “small batch” exclusive bottlings, Tun 1401 #3 is made up of 10 casks, 3 ex-sherry, 7 ex-bourbon, distilled over the years at the hands of Balvenie’s David Stewart. The youngest whisky here is from a cask filled in 1989, the oldest from 1967. After making the cut, the 10 casks were emptied into Tun 1401, a 2000 litre marrying tun, to get know each other a little better before being bottled in an edition of 1800. Balvenie ambassador Nicholas Pollachi almost levitates with excitement when talking about this whisky, as well he should, he had a hand in making it and it is truly stunning stuff…lush, deeply complex, with a delicious array of wood and spice. Well done, Mr. Pollacchi, we’ll miss you on the West Coast. [...]
Will be hosting a private tasting of The Balvenie range on Friday here in Dallas. The lucky guests and I will be sampling a bottle of Batch 3. Tremendous whisky, an incredible tasting experience, and definitely rich fruity, citrus flavors exploding on the tongue. Looking forward to trying 1401 again!! Thank you!
[...] I’m lucky to have tried each. The BenRiach 15 Year Old 1995 Pedro Ximenez Single Cask, Balvenie’s Tun 1401 Batch #3, and the Mackinlay’s Rare Old Highland Malt were high on the list, [...]
I was fortunate to be there days after the whisky was put in the Tun. There still was some left in the hose near by. I just ordered a bottle today. While our trip to Scotland was filled every day with unforgettable memories, our private tour at Balvenie was the best distillery experience and a highlight of the trip. This bottle will bring back memories every time I pour a dram.
[...] Balvenie Tun 1401 Batch #3 0 January 20, 2012 in Reviews by Mike Tonight I find myself snowed into my apartment, and “oh no, how terrible!” as I find myself in prime position to finally open my Balvenie Tun 1401 Batch #3. [...]
I tried batch #3 last week and I have to say Tun 1401 is the finest scotch I’ve ever had. It’s even better than the 21 yr, my previous favorite. Truly a work of art.
The Tun- Batch 3 is truly outstanding ! The flavors eminate from the palate
with rich malty notes and a long warm finish – wow!
I just love it! The only problem I’ve encountered is that “it evaporates under my very nose”!
Slainte!
Many thanks for the material, and your webpage really looks wonderful. What wordpress theme are you using?
I had the pleasure of visiting the distilery this Feb, the best Distilery Tour I have experieced. After a comprehensive tasting of the whisky availiable, including Tun 1401 Batch 2, I had no hesitation in purchasing a bottle of this superb whisky.
its fantastic as your other posts : D, thanks for putting up.