Balvenie’s David Stewart Honored With MBE

By Richard Thomas

Longtime William Grant & Sons blender David Stewart was made a Member Of The British Empire (MBE) in Queen Elizabeth II’s New Year’s Honors List.

An MBE is part of the Order Of The British Empire, an order of chivalry established by George V in 1917. The Order has five classes, of which the MBE is the lowest, and the award is regularly awarded to Britons who have achieved national prominence in their field of endeavor or for distinguished public service.

Stewart is a living legend within the Scotch industry, a veteran of more than five decades and the longest-serving of the dozen recognized Malt Masters. He was appointed Malt Master at William Grant & Sons in 1974, and among his landmark accomplishments was the introduction of two-cask maturation, commonly known as “finishing,” a practice that has spread throughout the Scotch industry and around the world. Stewart stepped back from Glenfiddich and Grant’s in 2009, handing the reins of those brands over to Brian Kinsman, but he continues as blender at The Balvenie and overall Malt Master.