Drinking News

Balvenie unveils 17-year whiskey and hits the road looking for Americancraftsmen

The Balvenie 17 Year Old DoubleWood matures in an American oak cask beforefinishing in a European oak sherry cask.
Photo courtesy of Balvenie
Balvenie USA Ambassador Lorne Cousin is also an accomplished bagpipe player whohas performed with Missy Elliott and Madonna.
Photo courtesy of Balvenie
Dude, Sweet Chocolate was one of American craftsmen visited by Balvenie duringits 2012 Rare Craft Roadshow.
Photo courtesy of Balvenie

Just weeks after its neighbor Glenfiddich unleashed a new whiskey on the States, Balvenie unveiled its own new spirit, the 17-year-old DoubleWood. The 17 is aged using the same casking process as its 12-year-old sibling.

According to Lorne Cousin, Balvenie’s USA ambassador and bagpiper extraordinaire — seriously, he has performed with Missy Elliott and Madonna — the 17 spends the majority of its maturation process in American oak barrels before moving to European oak sherry casks for a few months to finish.

The new spirit is the brainchild of Balvenie’s Malt Master David Steward, who is celebrating his 50th anniversary on the job.

“In the 1980s, he invented the concept of finishing whiskey in a different cask,” Cousin says. “Until then, it was always in one cask, like bourbon or sherry. But he said, ‘Well, why don’t we try putting it in a second cask, just to finish it?’ And it took off.”

According to Cousin, the main characteristic of the Balvenies is an underlying honey flavor. The DoubleWood has a vanilla profile that comes from the American oak casks and a slight sherry tone that comes from the European finishing cask.

According to Cousin, the 17-year-old DoubleWood should be available October 22 at most local liquor stores, including Spec’s and Sigel’s, for a recommended price of $129.99.

In addition to promoting its new 17-year baby, Balvenie is in the middle of its 2012 Rare Craft Roadshow that honors craftspeople around the country who still do things by hand.

“The way we make Balvenie, we still use the old crafts of whisky making,” Cousin says. “We like to think it’s the most handcrafted whisky in the world.”

Cousin says that they’re taking a hand-made Morgan Motor Co. car across the country to find like-minded artisans. They stopped in Dallas October 18 to visit Dude, Sweet Chocolate in the Bishop Arts District.

The tour has a few more stops, in places like New Orleans and Atlanta, before it returns to New York to finish up. Cousin says there will be a group of finalists who receive fellowship grants and possibly a trip to the distillery in Dufftown, Scotland, to talk shop with the Balvenie craftsmen.

“The whole point of the roadshow is to celebrate craftsmen who have a passion,” Cousin says.

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Food & Wine Events

Wine walk leads the 8 best food and drink events in Dallas this week

Portillo's/Facebook

The Portillo's Beef Bus will kick off a North Texas tour this week.

An iconic Chicago-based food bus arrives in North Texas this week to kick off a tour around Texas. Also on the list of food events this week: a game night at a Greek spot, a wine dinner with a big-name Dallas chef, a chocolate truffle-making class, a rose wine walk, and 10th birthday party for a Dallas brewery.

Tuesday, June 10

Mahjong & Meze at Nikki Greek Bistro & Lounge
Park Cities Greek restaurant (and CultureMap 2025 Tastemaker Awards winner) is bringing back its Mahjong & Meze summer nights series with a new four-week beginner course running Tuesday nights from June 10-July 8 from 6-8:30 pm, offering a relaxed and social way to learn the game and enjoy Greek cuisine. The four-week series is $155. Food is extra: A three-course dinner for $40 is available beginning at 5 pm, and bottles of wine will be half-price for Mahjong & Meze players.

Thursday, June 12

Chappellet Wine Dinner at Knife Italian
Chef John Tesar's Italian-inspired steakhouse inside The Ritz-Carlton Dallas, Las Colinas will host a five-course family-style menu paired with vintages from Chappellet Winery in Napa Valley. Menu items include mushroom pizza, lobster scampi, oxtail ravioli, and 60-day dry-aged striploin and 120-day dry-aged ribeye. Dinner is $175 plus tax and gratuity, and begins at 6:30 pm.

Saturday, June 14

Truffle-Making Class by the Touring Chocolatier
Learn a new skill this summer: chocolate truffle-making. The Touring Chocolatier in Flower Mound will host an educational class on chocolate highlighting where and how cacao is grown, how to temper chocolate, and how to roll into truffles. Three class times include 10 am, 1 pm, and 6:30 pm. Class is $65.

Portillo's Beef Bus at Allen Premium Outlets
Chicago hot dog and Italian beef sandwich chain will tour its Beef Bus around the Lone Star State, starting with a stop at Allen Premium Outlets. Visit for Chicago-style hot dogs with all the fixings, sandwiches, Polish sausages, crinkle-cut fries with cheese sauce, and more on Saturday and Sunday from 10 am–6 pm while supplies last.

8th Annual National Rosé Day Wine Walk on Greenville
Sip and stroll to 10-plus bars along Greenville Ave. during this day-long rose walk. The $25 ticket includes one specialty cocktail along with discounted drinks along the crawl, entertainment, photo ops, and admission to the after party at Stan’s Blue Note. The walk will run from 11:30 am–5 pm, with the afterparty from 5–7 pm.

Texas Ale Project 10th Anniversary Party
Dallas brewery will mark one decade with an all-day party. Visit for live music, food trucks including Cousins Maine Lobster and The Tamale Company, and cold brews. Tickets are $10 and the party will run from 12–8:30 pm.

Art, Cars, Cigars & Watches: The Ultimate Dad’s Night Out
Ferrari Gallery Contemporary Art hosts a night combining exotic cars, fine art, and cigars with cocktails and bites from Park Cities Mexican restaurant Jose including chicken with mole and chipotle sauce, flautas ahogadas, and mini elotes. Plus a margarita station with Mijenta tequila, along with sparkling wine from Piper Heidsieck. Tickets are $110 and the event runs from 5-8 pm, with proceeds benefitting the Children’s Cancer Fund.

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