Ballantine’s Whisky, the Masterful Blend
Ballantine’s is the most beloved whiskey in the Indian market. It has sought great recognition worldwide. Ballantine’s Scotch Whiskey does justice to its quality. Ballantine’s 12 years old is priced at Rs 2710. Hence, Ballantine’s cost isn’t expensively priced either. George Ballantine introduced this whiskey. George set up this business of whiskey-making when he was just nineteen and later shared his whisky blending expertise and knowledge with his sons George II, Archibald and Daniel, as well as his grandson, George III. All of them came together and built an excellent reputation for this whiskey. In 1895, Ballantine & Son was awarded a Royal Warrant from Queen Victoria, the ultimate endorsement of its prestigious reputation.
The Ballantine’s family crafted their first whiskey in 1910. Nearly 200,000 bottles of Finest are sold around the world every day, which goes on to prove that quality can easily overpower the test of times.
The next master blender of this whiskey was George Robertson, who was not related to the Ballantine’s family. He inherited the job after the first world war and 13 years of prohibition. He is credited for creating the world’s first (and to this day most rewarded) 17-year-old Scotch and the prestigious Ballantine’s 30.
In 1959, Jack Goudy carried on the excellence of this whiskey by producing a 12-year-old blend. He did a marvelous thing in between; He trained two future master blenders, making sure the quality of Ballantine’s would continue for years to come. He taught them the very importance of sourcing the best scotch and maturing it in premium American oak. This helps in maintaining the same quality and flavor.
One of his prodigies, Robert Hicks, got termed as a perfectionist in the world of whiskeys. He worked with Jack for 24 years before taking on the role of master blender in this field. He was also known for having the most potent noses when it came to smelling whiskeys.
The current master blended took over in the year 2005. He is the second of Goudy’s prodigies. This man is known to drive innovation and creativity to the brand of Ballantine’s. He is also considered to be one of the most prolific master blenders. Sandy also added Ballantine’s 40 to the family, which is amongst the oldest expressions in the range and a blend that he is incredibly proud of. He noses around 250 samples a day, clearly showing the sheer expertise and experience he has acquired in perfecting a drink.
It’s only because of these five master blenders that Ballantine’s could become what it is today. It is considered to be the top-notch whiskey in Europe. Ballantine’s is known to produce exceptional whiskeys which are versatile and full of flavor. Keeping that in mind, Sandy has a bit of advice on how to enjoy a dram of Ballantine’s,
“Stay true to your taste because the best way to drink Ballantine’s is exactly the way you like it.”
See also: Food Pairings with Ballantine’s Whiskey
