Ballantine’s has launched a 40 Year Old edition of it’s Ballantine Blended Whisky. Not surprisingly, it is one of the most exclusive blended Scotch whisky ever created.
Ballantine’s 40 Year Old has been created to fulfil founder George Ballantine’s aspiration to produce the most exceptional and exquisite whisky “only when the time is right.”
Using small amounts of a rare inventory of aged whiskies, Master Blender Sandy Hyslop has blended together, by hand, a unique luxury Scotch in the famous Ballantine’s style.
Only 100 bottles of this extremely rare whisky will be released globally each year. Individually numbered bottles will be priced at around £4,500.
Ballantine’s Master Blender Sandy Hyslop comments: “This 40 Year Old blend is something I believe George Ballantine would be proud to put his name to. It has been an honour to realise his aspiration and to contribute towards this significant moment in the history of Ballantine’s Scotch whisky”.
Presented in a wooden cabinet, the Ballantine’s 40 Year Old bottle features an etching of the Ballantine’s crest alongside Sandy Hyslop’s signature. World-renowned British silversmith Richard Fox has expertly crafted five sterling silver elements to complete the elegant presentation – the stopper, collar, seal, label and base cup, which are each individually hallmarked by the London Assay office, the mark of silver quality for more than 700 years.
Ballantine’s 40 Year Old is a 43% ABV blended Scotch with notes of pears in syrup, rich fruitcake, cinnamon and root ginger on the nose. The liquid has a complex and fruity character and a round, smooth and perfectly balanced body that imparts flavours of toffee and sweet red apple. The finale, Ballantine’s 40 Year Old’s extraordinary finish, is significant and long lasting.
Ballantine’s 40 Year Old Tasting Notes
Colour: Deep and intense
Nose: Rich; Bursting with flavours of ripe pears in syrup, intermingled with rich fruitcake; A hint of cinnamon and root ginger in the background
Taste: Incredible depth; Exceptional multi-layered flavours of rich toffee and sweet soft red apple
Finish: Delightful finish that last an incredibly long, blissful time.
In other news, Ballantine’s has celebrated its sixth successful year as an Official Sponsor of the Scottish Open at the weekend, as India’s Jeev Milkha Singh was named the overall winner of the tournament.
Singh clinched the title in the closely-fought final round yesterday after he birdied the first extra hole in a play-off against Italy’s Francesco Molinari.
He was rewarded for his outstanding performance with a coveted bottle of Ballantine’s 30 Year Old in the tournament’s landmark 30th year.