The Balvenie Announces Once-in-a-lifetime "Rare Craft Fellowship" Award for Nation's Craftsmen

NEW YORK, Feb. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Balvenie Single Malt Scotch Whisky announced today the launch of The Balvenie Rare Craft Fellowship – a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for American craftsmen across the country to earn a money-can't-buy trip to Scotland to spend time at the legendary distillery and apprentice under another local craftsman of their choosing.  In addition, one craftsman will receive a $5,000 award towards materials, and four additional craftsmen will receive a $2,000 award and a trip to New York to showcase their work.

The two-week fellowship in Scotland will feature a week at the historic Balvenie distillery, where they will learn more about the traditional crafts of whisky making. They will also have the rare opportunity to work with legendary malt master David Stewart while there. The four craftsmen will also each be offered the opportunity to exhibit their work to buyers and collectors in New York in the fall at The Balvenie Whisky Den, a pop up space in downtown Manhattan dedicated to traditional crafts.

Craftsmen selected to participate in this unprecedented Fellowship will be discovered over the course of the 2012 Balvenie Rare Craft Roadshow, when the Balvenie Brand Ambassador Nicholas Pollacchi will hit the road in a custom hand built Morgan sports car in search of the workshops, lofts, studios and stores where the American craft revival is taking place and celebrating the craftsmen who are leading that revival. This nationwide road trip will continue 2011's search for craftsmen and artisans across America, all of whom will also be considered for the experience.

Interested craftsmen, as well as those who wish to nominate someone, are encouraged to sign up immediately at http://www.thebalvenie.com/nominate for this rare and singular opportunity.

For more information about the 2011 and 2012 Balvenie Roadshow or for any media inquiries:

About the Balvenie

The Balvenie is a unique range of Single Malt whiskies hand crafted in Scotland's Speyside region by William Grant & Sons.  Created by internationally renowned malt master David Stewart, The Balvenie is unique in that it retains complete control over the five rare crafts that go into the production of its acclaimed whisky:  nowhere else will you find a distillery that still grows its own barley, malts in its own traditional malting floor, employs coopers to tend every cask, a coppersmith to maintain the stills and a malt master to ensure that the resulting spirit is consistently excellent.  It is this dedicated to producing a truly handcrafted whisky that has led to the Balvenie receiving the highest plaudits at a range of international spirits competitions, with the Balvenie 21 Year Old Portwood recently picking up the Single Malt Trophy at both the International Spirits Challenge and the International Wine and Spirits competition.

The Balvenie range includes The Balvenie DoubleWood 12 Year Old (RRP $45.99), The Balvenie 14 Year old Caribbean Cask ($59.99), The Balvenie Single Barrel 15 Year Old ($64.99), The Balvenie PortWood 21 Year Old ($169.99), as well as a range of limited releases, including the coveted 17 Year Old range, which features different cask finishes (most recently Peated Cask). For further information visit www.thebalvenie.com

William Grant & Sons, Ltd. is an independent family-owned distiller headquartered in the United Kingdom and founded by William Grant in 1887. Today, the luxury spirits company is run by the fifth generation of his family and distils some of the world's leading brands of Scotch whisky, including the world's most awarded single malt Glenfiddich^®, The Balvenie^® range of handcrafted single malts and the world's fourth largest blended Scotch Grant's^® as well as other iconic spirits brands such as Hendrick's^® Gin, Sailor Jerry^® Rum, Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey and the award-winning Milagro^® Tequila.

SOURCE William Grant & Sons, Ltd.