THIS IS A PRE-ORDER ITEM—IT IS EXPECTED TO SHIP SEPTEMBER 2026 

The Balvenie 1931 Collection 12 Year 100% Home Malted Barley Single Malt Scotch Whisky is a limited-edition expression celebrating one of the distillery’s most distinctive surviving crafts: traditional floor malting.

Created in collaboration with contemporary artist Daniel Arsham, this 12-year-old Speyside single malt is made using 100% home-malted barley grown on The Mains of Balvenie Farm and partner farms. The release takes its name from 1931, the year associated with The Balvenie’s historic floor maltings, which remain in operation today.

The whisky begins maturation in American oak before being finished in an ex-sherry European oak butt from Jerez, Spain. This combination allows the barley character to remain prominent while adding layers of honey, creamy toffee, ginger, raisin, oak and gentle sherried richness. A current U.S. distributor listing likewise identifies the expression as a limited-edition 12-year whisky made with 100% home-malted barley and finished in Jerez sherry casks.

Bottled at 47.5% ABV / 95 proof, the 1931 Collection is designed to showcase craftsmanship as much as maturation. Malt Master Kelsey McKechnie used techniques inspired by those employed in some of The Balvenie’s oldest and rarest whiskies, connecting the distillery’s traditional methods with a contemporary collectible presentation.

With its Daniel Arsham collaboration, home-malted barley, sherry-cask finish and limited-edition packaging, this expression is particularly suited to Balvenie collectors, Speyside whisky enthusiasts, design-focused collectors and premium Scotch gifting.

Key Features

• The Balvenie 1931 Collection
• Limited-edition 12 Year Old Single Malt Scotch
• Created in collaboration with Daniel Arsham
• Made with 100% home-malted barley
• Barley sourced from The Mains of Balvenie Farm and partner farms
• Celebrates The Balvenie’s traditional floor maltings
• Matured in American oak
• Finished in an ex-sherry European oak butt from Jerez
• 47.5% ABV / 95 proof
• 700mL bottle
• Crafted by Malt Master Kelsey McKechnie
• Presentation gift tube
• Honeyed, malty, ginger-spiced and sherried flavor profile
• Premium collectible Speyside single malt

Tasting Notes

Nose: Warm biscuit and honey, creamy toffee, delicate ginger and aromatic oak.

Palate: Mellow barley-sugar sweetness builds into crystallized ginger, delicate raisin and layered baking spice.

Finish: Rich, velvety and smooth, with lingering malt sweetness, dried fruit and refined oak.

How to Enjoy

Serve The Balvenie 1931 Collection 12 Year neat in a Glencairn or tulip-shaped whisky glass to focus on its malt-driven character and sherry-cask influence.

A few drops of water can open additional layers of honey, barley sugar, ginger, raisin and creamy toffee. It can also be enjoyed over a large cube, although the limited nature of this expression makes it especially rewarding as a slow neat pour.

For a comparative tasting, serve it alongside The Balvenie DoubleWood 12 or another traditionally matured Speyside malt to highlight the impact of 100% home-malted barley.

FAQ

What is The Balvenie 1931 Collection?
It is a limited-edition Balvenie collection celebrating the distillery’s traditional crafts, with the 12-year expression focusing specifically on its historic home floor maltings. The broader Daniel Arsham collaboration is built around The Balvenie’s Five Rare Crafts.

Why is it called the 1931 Collection?
The name references the era associated with The Balvenie’s traditional floor maltings, which have remained largely unchanged and continue operating today.

What does “100% home malted barley” mean?
The barley used for this whisky was malted using The Balvenie’s own traditional floor-malting process rather than relying on commercially malted barley.

Where was the barley grown?
The barley was grown on The Mains of Balvenie Farm and partner farms.

How is the whisky matured?
It is matured in American oak and finished in an ex-sherry European oak butt from Jerez, Spain.

What proof is it?
The whisky is bottled at 47.5% ABV / 95 proof.

Who is Daniel Arsham?
Daniel Arsham is a contemporary artist known for work exploring architecture, archaeology, time and material transformation. His collaboration with The Balvenie brings contemporary art together with the distillery’s traditional whisky-making crafts.

Who created the whisky?
The release is associated with Malt Master Kelsey McKechnie, who worked alongside Daniel Arsham on the wider creative project.

What does it taste like?
Expect warm biscuit, honey, creamy toffee, ginger, barley sugar, raisin, spice and oak, finishing rich and smooth.