Rollout of The Balvenie Fifty continues with launch at LAX

Continuing the celebration of Malt Master David Stewart's 50^th year at The Balvenie distillery, on November 27 The Balvenie Fifty was unveiled at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX ) in conjunction with DFS.

Paige Parness, WG&S Regional Marketing Manager the Americas - Steven Corrigan, WG&S Regional Director North America - Sam Simmons, Global  Brand Ambassador Balvenie - David Stewart, Balvenie Malt Master - Polly Nelson, DFS Managing Director for Americas - Sharon Moy, Assistant General Manager LAX (DFS) - Joe Lyons VP of Business Development LAX (DFS)

The only airport in North American travel retail to carry The Balvenie Fifty, the unveiling was carried out by David Stewart himself, enabling him to share his knowledge and insight of the new product and its premium credentials. Timed to coincide with the key holiday gift giving season, a VIP experience was offered prior to the launch to DFS key stakeholders, giving them a rare chance to taste the 50 year old liquid with David Stewart.

Just 88 bottles of The Balvenie Fifty will be available worldwide, with 22 available to Global Travel Retail. 'We are delighted to be partnering with DFS to bring The Balvenie Fifty to LAX passengers,' says WGS Stephen Corrigan, Business Development Director North America. 'Featuring exclusively for two months over the festive buying season , the bottle is taking pride of place in the TBIT pillar supported by customised brand imagery for fantastic stand out.'

The Balvenie Fifty is presented in a hand blown glass bottle surrounded by a wooden case, created by Scottish craftsman Sam Chinnery. Forty nine rings of seven beautiful Scottish grown timbers mark Malt Master David Stewart's half century at The Balvenie Distillery.

The Balvenie Fifty was matured in a European oak sherry hogshead, rarely used today in whisky making. Filled with newly distilled spirit in 1962, over the following 50 years, the spirit slowly matured into an outstanding single malt Scotch whisky.

Tasting Notes: The particularly long maturation has created a wonderfully fragrant and floral whisky, which is velvety sweet with a beautifully balanced combination of sweet citrus notes and gentle hints of honey, spice and oak.

The whisky has a fragrant and floral scent, with fruit and oak lusciously intermingled. Citrus notes of lemon and orange peel are followed by honey and vanilla and finally a gentle hint of cinnamon and subtle oak. It has a sweet, dry-fruity taste with sherbet spice, toasted almonds and cinnamon, layered with richness of creamy toffee notes and traces of oak and deep vanilla. The finish is velvety smooth with a delicious citrus sweetness. The spirit has a 44.1% ABV.

Trade enquiries: Ian Taylor, William Grant & Sons. Tel: +44 (0) 20 8334 1258. Fax: +44 (0) 20 8332 1695. E-mail Ian.Taylor@wgrant.com

Press enquiries: Rowena Holland, Essential Communications. Tel: +44 (0) 208 405 8109. Fax: +44 (0) 208 405 0330. Mobile: +44 (0) 7710 219784. Email: row@essentialcommunications.org

October 2012

Notes to editors

About The Balvenie

• The Balvenie is a unique range of single malts created by David Stewart, The Balvenie Malt Master. Each has a very individual taste, but each is rich, luxuriously smooth and underpinned by the distinctively honeyed character of The Balvenie.

• Born in Ayr on the west coast of Scotland in 1945, David Stewart joined William Grant & Sons in 1962, the year before Single Malt Scotch Whisky was first officially exported to England. He was appointed the distiller’s Malt Master in 1974 and his renowned ability to identify the finest casks of whisky for maturation has helped William Grant & Sons earn the Distiller of the Year accolade an unprecedented eight times (2010, 2009, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2001, 2000 and 1999).

• The Balvenie Single Malt Scotch Whisky is produced by William Grant & Sons Ltd, an award-winning independent family-owned distiller founded by William Grant in 1886 and today run by his direct descendants.

• The Balvenie Single Malt Scotch Whisky is produced by William Grant & Sons Ltd, an award-winning independent family-owned distiller founded by William Grant in 1886 and today run by his direct descendants.