This is an estimated arrival timeline. Timing can shift due to carrier schedules, port congestion, customs, or warehouse receiving.
Only 30 bottles available to the public.
Product image shows the actual cask liquid for color reference only. The final bottle will be presented in Whispering Waters' proprietary glass design.
The release
This is a Whispering Waters bottling of Balve'ddich, a 36-year-old blended malt Scotch whisky from one of Speyside's most celebrated distilleries. Distilled on October 21, 1989 and matured for over 35 years in a refill ex-bourbon cask, the whisky was reracked into a 1st fill Pedro Ximenez sherry barrique in September 2025 for a finishing period ahead of bottling in April 2026. The estimated outturn from the full cask is approximately 330 bottles at around 50% ABV, with the vast majority allocated to private groups and whisky clubs. Only 30 bottles are being made available to the public.
The Balve'ddich name is Whispering Waters' proprietary label for this particular cask, which cannot carry the distillery's name on the bottle due to the way it was sold from the distillery. The product page you are reading, however, can tell you exactly what it is.
In the Scotch whisky industry, "teaspooning" is a practice started by William Grant & Sons in the 1980s to protect their brand names when selling casks to independent bottlers and brokers. Before a cask leaves the distillery, a tiny amount of whisky from a sibling distillery is added to the cask. In this case, a small amount of Glenfiddich was added to a cask of Balvenie. Legally, even a teaspoon of another single malt means the whisky can no longer be labeled as a single malt. It must be classified as a "blended malt Scotch whisky," and the distillery name cannot appear on the bottle.
The whisky industry has developed code names for these teaspooned casks. Balvenie teaspooned with Glenfiddich is known as "Burnside" in the UK and Europe. However, the Burnside name is trademarked in the United States and cannot be used here, so Whispering Waters bottles this under its own label: Balve'ddich.
In practical terms, what you are drinking is a cask of Balvenie in every way that matters. The teaspoon of Glenfiddich is vanishingly small and has no measurable impact on the flavor profile. The reclassification is a legal technicality, not a reflection of the whisky's character. This is a 36-year-old whisky from one of Speyside's finest distilleries, finished in PX sherry wood, at a price that would be significantly higher if the label were allowed to say Balvenie.
- A 36-year-old teaspooned Balvenie, distilled on October 21, 1989, during the distillery's golden era of production.
- Over 35 years in refill ex-bourbon before a finishing period in 1st fill Pedro Ximenez sherry barrique from September 2025.
- Bottled at natural cask strength (approximately 50% ABV), un-chillfiltered, natural colour.
- Only 30 of approximately 330 total bottles available to the public. Over 90% of this cask was allocated to private groups and clubs before it reached the shelf.
- The teaspooning classification keeps the price accessible for a whisky of this age and provenance. An official 36-year-old Balvenie, if one existed at this specification, would retail for multiples of this price.
The cask journey
This cask has had an extraordinary life. Distilled in October 1989 at one of Speyside's most revered distilleries, the spirit was filled into a refill ex-bourbon cask where it sat quietly for over 35 years. During that time, the long, slow interaction between spirit and oak drew out deep layers of vanilla, honey, and dried fruit while the refill nature of the cask allowed the distillery character to remain front and center rather than being overpowered by aggressive wood influence.
In September 2025, the whisky was reracked into a 1st fill Pedro Ximenez sherry barrique to add a final layer of complexity. PX casks are known for their intensely sweet, dark-fruited influence, and even a relatively short finishing period on a spirit this mature can transform the experience. At the time of reracking, the cask was measured at 52.1% ABV. The final ABV at bottling in April 2026 is expected to settle around 50%, the natural cask strength after the finishing period.
Tasting notes
Tasting notes will be published closer to bottling in April 2026. Based on the cask profile, expect the long bourbon maturation to deliver a foundation of honeyed vanilla, beeswax, and orchard fruit, with the PX finish layering dark dried fruits, fig, raisin sweetness, and a touch of chocolate. The 1989 distillation vintage from this distillery is known for producing spirit with exceptional balance and depth.
Tasting notes are a guide, your experience may vary with glassware, time, and water.
Specifications
Cask details and specifications provided by Whispering Waters. Final ABV and outturn will be confirmed at bottling. Distilled, matured, and bottled in Scotland.
