David C Stewart, The Balvenie

WHISKY ROYALTY DAVID C. STEWART MBE

THE LONGEST SERVING MALT MASTER IN THE SCOTCH WHISKY INDUSTRY

Starting work at The Balvenie distillery at the age of just 17, David C. Stewart MBE remains one of the best-loved and most respected craftsmen in the business. David began a 10-year apprenticeship when he started at the distillery, and during this time he mastered the skills of nosing and creating quality single malt Scotch whisky. David was appointed The Balvenie Malt Master in 1974 and has held that position ever since.

It’s been a busy last couple of years for David: in July 2016 he was awarded an MBE, Member of the Order of the British Empire, by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for services to the Scotch whisky industry and the following year, in September 2017, he celebrated his 55th year with the company.

Over his career, David has developed an award-winning range of single malt whiskies, which have earned him some of the industry’s top accolades. During his time, he’s helped independent, family-owned William Grant & Sons become Distiller of the Year an unprecedented five times at the International Spirits Challenge (ISC), four times at the International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) and, for the first time, at the World Whiskies Awards in 2011.

There are just a few Scotch whisky malt masters in the world and as The Balvenie Malt Master, David requires specialist skills to ensure quality and consistency across the range of whiskies. His passion for retaining tradition, as well as championing experimentation, makes The Balvenie a refined and distinguished single malt, that is as wellloved among newer whisky enthusiasts as it is among seasoned aficionados.

Well-known in the industry for his desire to avoid the limelight, David has been widely recognised by his peers. He was awarded the Grand Prix of Gastronomy by the British Academy of Gastronomes in 2005, as well as conferred a lifetime achievement award by the International Wine & Spirit Competition (2005). He was named Whisky Magazine’s Malt Advocate in 2007, and an Icon of Scotch Whisky in 2009.

Another of David’s key achievements as The Balvenie Malt Master, aside from his MBE, includes the development of double cask maturation in the 1980s, unheard of at the time. These days, this is an established technique referred to as ‘finishing’, and widely enjoyed in The Balvenie DoubleWood 12-Year-Old and The Balvenie DoubleWood 12-Year-Old, 14-Year-Old and the 17-Year-Old His spirit of experimentation also led him to create the ground-breaking Islay Cask 17-Year-Old in 2001, which paved the way for a series of successful expressions, such as The Balvenie PortWood 21-Year-Old and The Balvenie Caribbean Cask 14-Year-Old. In this way, he has pushed the boundaries of The Balvenie’s traditional place in the world of single malt Scotch whisky.

David’s unrivalled expertise has been displayed in the Single Barrel Range, which includes three expressions - Single Barrel First Fill 12-YearOld, Single Barrel Sherry Cask 15-Year-Old and Single Barrel Traditional Oak 25-Year-Old. Most recently, David has created The Balvenie DCS Compendium, a collection of 25 casks from five different decades of Balvenie history. Each cask illustrates the distillery’s character, and how the characteristics of The Balvenie develop over time.

David’s dedication to his craft, coupled with his modest, unassuming manner, has made him one of the best-loved and well-respected figures in the Scotch whisky industry. He continues to work with the skilled teams of craftsmen at The Balvenie Distillery in Dufftown, Speyside, Scotland.