SEPTEMBER 28, 2012 - Following the phenomenal success of Master of Spirits II in Singapore this April, DFS Group (DFS) continues in its tradition of holding legendary gatherings of exclusive spirits collections; it has become the first retailer in the world to launch The Balvenie Fifty, a rare collection by The Balvenie Distillery.
After the exclusive launch event on September 14 in the heart of Singapore at ION Orchard’s Sky Bar, the following day, DFS hosted its unveiling at Terminal 3 (T3) of Singapore Changi Airport (Changi Airport) and invited The Balvenie Malt Master David Stewart to join the event in its T3 concession. There, DFS will keep The Balvenie Fifty on display and offer six bottles of the rare single malt for sale.
The Balvenie Fifty, an exquisite single malt laid down in 1962 and bottled in 2012, marks the culmination of half a century of achievement by David Stewart. Matured in a European oak sherry hogshead rarely used today in whisky making, it was bottled in a custom-made hand blown glass bottle and packaged within a wooden case created by Scottish craftsman Sam Chinnery from forty-nine rings of seven Scottish-grown timbers. Among the most exclusive of single malt whiskies, only 88 bottles are available worldwide at a recommended retail price of GBP $20,000 (approximately RMB 205,000).
A fitting host to introduce such a singular whiskey, DFS is the world’s largest luxury travel retailer. Renowned for the extraordinary selections of rare and limited products it curates at destinations around the world, DFS has brought The Balvenie Fifty to Changi Airport for the convenience of its global traveling clientele, many of whom regularly pass through its gates. This showcase is also only one of the many that DFS has masterfully built in recent months for its customers passing through this airport. In July, DFS featured three bottles of a limited edition Macallan 55 Year-Old Scotch whisky. Earlier this year, the Group also toured the collection from Master of Spirits II – which included 84 spirits, wine and champagnes by 50 of the world’s leading brands — to the very same location.
“We are honored to have the distinction of being the first retailer in the world to launch this extremely rare and exquisite spirit by Balvenie,” said Brooke Supernaw, DFS Group Vice President of Wine and Spirits. “At DFS, we take pride in our expertise in the luxury travel retail sector. Our deep knowledge and understanding of our traveling clientele, cultivated over half a century of experience, has allowed us to continually improve our product offerings to provide customers with exclusive items such as this outstanding single malt Scotch whisky at their preferred locations.”
David Stewart, Malt Master of The Balvenie Distillery — who joined the distillery in 1962 and has nosed nearly 400,000 whisky casks in the past 50 years — said, “Cask 5576 and I have shared the last five decades together at The Balvenie Distillery. Single malt making is as much art and alchemy as it is an exact science: The interaction between wood and maturing whisky means that each cask, particularly one like this, will produce something entirely unique.”
"Changi Airport is honored to be the first airport in the world to feature The Balvenie Fifty,” said Ms. Ivy Wong, Senior Vice President, Airside Concessions, Changi Airport Group. It is a privilege for us to showcase such a prestigious brand, and we look forward to more such fulfilling partnerships with our retail partner DFS Group."
