Distiller Notes
George set up this business when he was just nineteen, and later shared his whisky blending expertise with his sons George II, Archibald and Daniel, as well as his grandson, George III. Together they built a real reputation for their whisky. So much so that in 1895, Ballantine & Son was awarded with a Royal Warrant from Queen Victoria, the ultimate endorsement of the company’s prestigious reputation. The Ballantine’s family first blended Finest in 1910, and it still stands as the oldest recipe in the current range. Nearly 200,000 bottles of Finest are sold around the world each day, proof that quality lasts the test of time.
The next master blender was yet another George, although not related to the Ballantine family. He inherited the job after the first world war and 13 years of prohibition, so found himself with barrel upon barrel of matured whisky. George Robertson created the world’s first (and to this day most rewarded) 17-year-old Scotch and the prestigious Ballantine’s 30. The next master blender was yet another George, although not related to the Ballantine family. He inherited the job after the first world war and 13 years of prohibition, so found himself with barrel upon barrel of matured whisky. George Robertson created the world’s first (and to this day most rewarded) 17-year-old Scotch and the prestigious Ballantine’s 30.
Jack carried on the tradition of producing excellence with the introduction of our 12-year-old blend. He also trained up two future master blenders, making sure the quality of Ballantine’s would continue for years to come. Jack taught them the importance of sourcing the best scotch and maturing it in the best American oak. Fresh casks of American oak have arrived every year since, maintaining that same high quality and flavor.
The first of Goudy’s prodigies was Robert Hicks, a perfectionist in the world of whisky. He worked with Jack for 24 years before taking on the role of master blender and was renowned for having one of the best noses when it came to smelling whisky.
The current master blender and the second of Goudy’s prodigies, Sandy drives innovation on Ballantine’s. As the most prolific of the master blenders, he is bringing new whisky tastes to the market like Ballantine’s Brasil and Hard Fired. Sandy also added Ballantine's 40 to the family, the oldest expression ever in the range and something that he is particularly proud of. With his hands-on approach that involves constant observation and nosing around 250 samples a day, Sandy plots the course of Ballantine’s. It’s exciting to see where he’ll take it.
The influence of these five master blenders has made Ballantine's what it is today, Europe's No.1 Scotch whisky and also No.2 worldwide (*IWSR volume 2015). Now, Ballantine's proposes the most comprehensive range of quality aged blended Scotch whiskies available anywhere in the world, and you’ll find it across the globe. These whiskies have always been of superlative quality and are extremely versatile, with that in mind, Sandy has a bit of advice on how to enjoy a dram of Ballantine’s...
“Stay true to your own taste, because the best way to drink Ballantine’s is exactly the way you like it.”
Originally created as a lighter alternative to Single Malts to appeal to the Americans during Prohibition, Blended Scotch Whiskies are a mix of both grain and malt whiskies that have been sourced from multiple distilleries and aged a minimum of three years in oak barrels. Nine out of every ten bottles of Scotch sold is a Blended Scotch Whisky and they are generally far more affordable than Single Malt Scotch Whiskies.