From the shelf
Everything we have from Black Velvet
Click on a bottle for the rest of the details.
What blending at birth is
In Canada it is customary to mature different whiskies separately and only blend them afterwards. Black Velvet does it the other way round. The base whisky is combined right after distillation with a rye flavouring whisky that has already been maturing for two to six years, and that blend then continues to mature together.
That maturing together takes at least three years, in ex-bourbon casks. The Original goes into the bottle at forty percent. It is a process the brand has held as a trademark since the 1940s.
The bottles we have in stock
The Original in seventy centilitres, and the Reserve with an age statement in a full litre.
Black velvet, and a move
- The brand in brief
- 1946The recipe is being developed.
- 1951The brand comes onto the market.
- LethbridgeIn Alberta, on the Oldman River.
- 2019Heaven Hill buys the brand and the plant.
The recipe was developed in 1946 at Schenley in Quebec and came onto the market in 1951. The working name was Black Label. Master distiller Jack Napier found the whisky so smooth that he compared it to black velvet, and that name stuck.
Production has been in Lethbridge, Alberta, on the Oldman River, since the 1970s, in a plant that was built as the Palliser Distillery. So the brand did not start in Alberta but in Quebec.
A long series of owners followed: Schenley, Grand Metropolitan, Diageo, Constellation Brands. In 2019 the American family company Heaven Hill bought both the brand and the distillery, for two hundred and sixty-six million dollars.
The blend goes into the cask, not out of it.
What to look out for
Accounts of the Reserve's age differ: some sources say eight years, the European label ten. Go by what is on the bottle.
The Reserve is a litre bottle, the Original seventy centilitres.
Call 0570 541 278 or drop in at Brink 2 in Bathmen.
Frequently asked questions about Black Velvet
How many Black Velvet does ’t Bockje have in stock?
Two bottles.
Where is Black Velvet made?
In Lethbridge in Alberta, Canada. The brand itself originally comes from Quebec.
What is blending at birth?
The grain base is combined with a rye flavouring whisky right after distilling and then matures together in ex-bourbon casks. In Canada it is more common to blend only after maturation.
Who owns the brand?
From Heaven Hill of Kentucky, which bought the brand and distillery from Constellation Brands in 2019.
How old is the Reserve?
The European label says ten years. Some sources mention eight years; those statements contradict each other. Go by the label of the bottle you receive.
Can I collect these bottles in Bathmen?
Yes. You can always order online or collect at Brink 2, or simply walk in.
Order, collect or drop by
- In stock in our shop at Brink 2 in Bathmen
- Available to order online and have delivered, including abroad
- Order online or collect in Bathmen
- Personal advice via 0570 541 278 or info@bockje.nl
- Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday 09.00–18.00, Saturday 09.00–17.00. Closed Monday and Sunday
Wij verkopen geen alcohol aan personen onder de 18 jaar. NIX18.
All 2 bottles at a glance
Each bottle shows the details from the label.
Keep browsing
Brink 2, Bathmen
All our stock is in the shop, not in a warehouse somewhere else. If you walk in with a name you couldn't find anywhere, it is often simply here on the shelf. You can also call: 0570 541 278.
Wij verkopen geen alcohol aan personen onder de 18 jaar. NIX18
- Tuesday to Friday 09.00 – 18.00
- Saturday 09.00 – 17.00
- Monday and Sunday closed