Balvenie 16 Year Old French Oak Pineau Cask Finish

Often called a fortified wine, Pineau des Charentes is a fruity and refreshing drink that’s not actually made with any wine at all. It’s a combination of either unfermented grape juice — either red or white — and young Cognac that is then aged in oak barrels to marry the ingredients and produce something that’s a beloved aperitif in the Cognac region. Legend has it that the drink was first discovered when a winemaker poured just-distilled Cognac into a barrel of unfermented wine they thought was empty but, much like the drink, that’s best accompanied by a morsel of something salty.

One of the original seven stills of Dufftown, Balvenie has been in business since 1892. It’s storied history is full of experimentation, a spirit of curiosity that has been passed down through the generations. Though the distillery boasts an open-minded approach to distilling and maturation, it also maintains a connection with tradition. Today it is one of only seven distilleries in Scotland to operate a floor maltings on-site. It’s not the easiest way to get malted barley, or the cheapest, but having direct control over the raw materials has allowed Balvenie to remain creative.