Ballantines

The popularity of Ballantine’s whiskey has long surpassed all boundaries: the brand is No. 1 scotch in Europe and No. 2 in the world. The annual sales volume is 70 million bottles. Over the past 10 years, Ballantine’s has won more than 130 prizes and medals in international competitions for the outstanding taste and unique character of whiskey. The signature of the founder of the company adorns each label, confirming the consistently high quality of the drink.

The history of Ballantine’s dates back to 1827. The healthy ambitions of the young son of a farmer, George Ballantyne, allowed him to quickly go from a grocer’s assistant to the owner of his own shop in Edinburgh. By 1865, the need to further develop the business prompted George to leave the store to his eldest son Archibald and go to Glasgow, where he opened a second store specializing in the sale of wine and whiskey.

Soon Ballantyne’s interests expanded into a new area – the creation of blended mixtures, which attracted the attention of buyers and began to be in demand. Ballantine enlisted the support of his son, George Jr., and formed George Ballantine and Son Ltd. The most important milestones in the history of the brand development:

• 1891 – the transfer of leadership of the company to George Jr.
• 1895 – George Ballantine and Son received a Royal Warrant to supply alcohol to the court of Queen Victoria.
• 1910 – Ballantine’s Finest flagship brand launched.
• 1919 Sale of business to junior partners, Barclay and McKinlay.
• 1935 – Hiram Walker Gooderham & Worts buys the company and invests heavily in creating its own fund of spirits for blending. The Miltonduff and Glenburgh distilleries were purchased, and the largest complex for the production of Dumbarton grain whiskey in Europe at that time was built. The whiskeys distilled at these distilleries continue to form the backbone of Ballantine’s today.
• 1938 – George Ballantine and Son is recognized as a “Noble Company of the Scottish Nobility” and awarded its own heraldic coat of arms, which has adorned every bottle ever since.
• 1960s – The company focused on exporting to Europe. By 1986, Ballantine’s had become the largest whiskey brand on the continent and the third largest seller in the world.
• 1987 – the company is sold to the international concern Allied Domecq.
• 2002 – The Dumbarton distillery was closed and production moved to the distillery in Strathclyde, although there is still a large bonded warehouse and bottling plant in Dumbarton.
• 2005 – The brand is acquired by the French group of producers and distributors of alcoholic beverages Pernod Ricard and included in the Chivas Brothers portfolio.
• 2015 – Dalmunach, a new high-tech distillery for the production of spirits used in Ballantines blends, opened near the banks of the Spey River.

The brand’s main line includes Finest, Limited, 12, 17, 21, 30 and 40 year old scotch tapes. In 2013, Ballantine’s Brasil, a lime flavored product, was released. In 2006, Sandy Hyslop was appointed chief blender, becoming the fifth master blender in the company’s 190-year history.

Awards

• 2013 – Gold medal (Ballantine’s 30 Year Old) at The Scotch Whiskey Masters;
• 2013 – 6 Silver medals at the International Wine & Spirit Competition;
• 2013 and 2015 – Gold medal (Ballantine’s 12 Year Old) at The Scotch Whiskey Masters;
• 2014 – Gold medal (Ballantine’s 17 Year Old) at The Scotch Whiskey Masters;
• 2014 – 2 Gold awards from Jim Murray’s Whiskey Bible (Ballantine’s Finest and Ballantine’s 17 Year Old);
• 2014 – Gold medal (Ballantine’s Finest) at the International Wine & Spirit Competition;
• 2014 – 2 Золотые медали (Ballantine’s Finest Blended Scotch Whisky и Ballantine’s Limited Scotch Whisky Deluxe Blend) на International Wine & Spirit Competition;
• 2014 and 2015 – The highest award Master (Ballantine’s 30 Year Old) at The Scotch Whiskey Masters;
• 2013-2015 – Gold medal (Ballantine’s 21 Year Old) at The Scotch Whiskey Masters;
• 2015 and 2016 – 3 Gold medals (Ballantine’s 17, Ballantine’s 21, Ballantine’s 30) at the International Wine & Spirit Competition;
• 2016 – Gold medal (Ballantine’s 30 Year Old) at the International Spirit Challenge;
• 2016 – 6 Silver medals at the International Spirit Challenge.

Interesting Facts

1. In Dumbarton, an old tradition has been preserved to this day: not dogs, but white geese, who greet outsiders with loud cackling, guard the warehouse with barrels of maturing whiskey.
2. The coat of arms of the company not only testifies to its chosenness: the emblem shows the main stages of the production of various whiskeys.
3. Carefully treating its heritage, the company at the same time looks to the future, and in particular, seeks to contribute to space exploration. To do this, the designers came up with a special glass from which you can drink whiskey in zero gravity, and filmed a beautiful commercial about it.
4. During Prohibition, Ballantyne’s whiskey got to America by roundabout routes: through the Canadian border and the Bahamas. New York fans knew the secret address where they could get a good “wet throat” – the legendary “Club 21”. After the end of this period, the far-sighted owner of the club legitimized his activities, becoming the official distributor of Ballantine’s.

Types of whiskey Ballantines

Ballantine’s Finest, 40%

The flagship of the line is a classic blended whiskey made according to the oldest recipe, which was first used by the Ballantyne family in 1910. The blend contains more than 49 malt and grain spirits, carefully selected from 4 iconic regions of Scotland. It is one of the best selling tapes in the world. Jim Murray, recognized whiskey guru, awarded this drink the victory in the “Blend of the Year” nomination and awarded it a fantastic 96 points.

Whiskey light golden color has a mild aroma of heather honey with notes of light smoke. The taste is rounded with tones of milk chocolate, red apple and vanilla, with a slightly audible peaty tint. The aftertaste gives a feeling of freshness.

Ballantine’s Limited, 43%

Blended whiskey is made using exclusive malt and grain spirits. The fragrance reveals a variety of fruity notes, from ripe pears and peaches to oranges. The taste is smooth, with creamy tones, nuances of licorice and cloves appear at the finish.

Ballantine’s 12 Year Old, 40%

By 1883, Ballantine’s stocked over 20 gallons of various spirits, so the company could afford to experiment with longer aging. The result was distant in time, but perfect in quality – premium 000-year-old scotch tape was introduced in 12 and immediately won many fans.

The high quality of the drink is marked by many medals and awards at the most prestigious world exhibitions. It is this variety that Ballantine’s master blender Sandy Hyslop prefers.

The heart of the blend are malt whiskeys from Miltonduff and Glenburgh, complemented by spirits from almost 50 other distilleries. The aroma is balanced with honey sweetness and notes of vanilla and oak. The taste is creamy with hints of mochachino and spices. The finish is long, warming, slightly salty.

Ballantine’s 17 Year Old, 43%

The world’s most titled 17-year-old blended whiskey, produced exactly according to the original recipe from the 1930s. According to Jim Murray, it became the best Scottish blend of 2010, and later the expert was generous with a higher rating, calling it the best whiskey in the world in 2011.

Miltonduff whiskey, which forms the basis of the blend, gives the drink a multifaceted fruitiness combined with notes of mochachino and peat smoke. Vanilla, honey, spicy licorice are read in the creamy taste.

Ballantine’s 21 Year Old, 43%

Blend, repeatedly awarded with prestigious awards and medals. The blend is based on spirits from Miltonduff and Glenbourgie distilleries. A feature of the variety is that most of the whiskey matured in European oak sherry casks, which provided a more spicy aroma with pronounced fruity notes. The taste is characterized by smoothness, roundness and richness of sweet shades: honey, marmalade, marshmallow, cake with raisins.

Ballantine’s 30 Year Old, 43%

The product of the brand line, two years in a row, in 2014 and 2015, was awarded the highest Masters award at one of the most prestigious professional competitions Scotch Whiskey Masters. Jim Murray rated the whiskey 92 points. An exclusive drink like a magnet attracts connoisseurs: some of the whiskeys included in the blend are very rare, especially those that were produced at the now closed distilleries.

After 30 years of aging, the scotch reached its peak of maturity, got a bright aroma and desired taste from oak barrels. The balanced taste contains floral and honey notes, hints of sherry, fruit pie and salty butter.

Ballantine’s Brazil, 35%

The whiskey-based drink was originally targeted at the South American region, but quickly gained popularity in other countries. The American oak barrels in which the whiskey is aged are laced with a bag of muslin filled with Brazilian lime zest. After the alcohol is saturated with essential oils, other types of whiskey are added to the blend.

The result is a bright, truly tropical drink that performs well in a variety of cocktails. Citrus aroma is combined with hints of vanilla and milk chocolate. The taste is soft and sweet, the aftertaste is refreshing.