The Balvenie 1964 A ’Tantalus’ cabinet for the oldest Balvenie ever released, a 56 year old distilled in 1964. Tantalus was a Greek mythological figure, most famous for his punishment in Tartarus; He was made to stand in a pool of water beneath a fruit tree with low branches, with the fruit just out of reach, and the water always receding before he could take a drink. Latterly the name was taken by cabinetmakers to refer to lockable cabinets for spirits in grand houses – to prevent the servants (or maybe the children) helping themselves. The point of a Tantalus cabinet was to show the contents without letting the audience get at it – hence our case having both Balvenie and 1964 on the outside. The cabinet is made from black walnut with solid brass insets.