Ballantine’s has launched its 2014 Christmas Reserve Limited Edition. Together with a marketing campaign entitled, ‘The Taste of Christmas’, it aims to maximise awareness and create demand by educating customers and engaging them with the festive drink.
First launched in 2010, the fifth edition of Ballantine’s Christmas Reserve is today available in 20 countries worldwide.
‘The Taste of Christmas’ campaign communicates the expression’s signature festive characteristics and captures the sensory experience of its seven tasting notes – ginger, moist raisin fruitcake, ripe pears, sweet candy apples, caramel toffee, tangy orange and liquorish root.
The print and digital advertising, for use across both on and off trade, features illustrations of the tasting notes. A Facebook and iPad App, ‘Discover Your Taste of Christmas,’ has also been developed, allowing fans to select their preferred tastes and Christmas elements which then results in a recommendation of the ideal Christmas Reserve serve for them.
A hugely popular signature cocktail, ‘The Ballantine’s Christmas Reserve Cinnamon Sleigh’, has also been developed to match the seasonal tasting profile of the expression. First created in 2013, the winter cocktail is served warm and uses cinnamon to underline the blend’s fruity depths.
Peter Moore, Global Brand Director for Ballantine’s, said: “We are delighted with the global sales success of Ballantine’s Christmas Reserve, which has more than doubled in growth since its 2010 launch.
“Our esteemed Master Blender, Sandy Hyslop, created this blend to naturally exude the spirit and taste of Christmas, resulting in a delicious drink for our fans around the world to enjoy – or gift for someone else to enjoy – during the 2014 festive season, and which stays true to both our Scottish heritage and quality values.”
About Ballantine’s Christmas Reserve
Different from other whiskies and inspired by Christmas, Ballantine’s Christmas Reserve is a blend of subtle details, aromas and tasting notes exclusive to this period: sweet candy apples, ripe pears, caramel toffee, tangy orange…it’s not just one of them, but the sum of them – together, their express its spirit.
Ballantine’s Christmas Reserve is also soft, sweet, round and smooth – all signature characteristics of Ballantine’s. The malts and grains have been expertly selected for their sweet, fruity flavours, creating a unique blend that makes Ballantine’s Christmas Reserve the perfect drink to celebrate Christmas.
Tasting Notes
Colour: The deep, dark colour reflects the complex toffee flavours that make the blend so sumptuous and perfect for Christmas indulgence.
Nose: Rich, full and fruity with the flavours of luxurious moist raisin fruitcake and sweet candy apples. Perfectly balanced with caramel toffee and soft ripe pears.
Palate: Deliciously sweet, with notes of succulent tangy orange. Bursting with fruit and finishing with superb hints of liquorice root and ginger.
Finish: Long, round and honeyed.