After the Irish pot stills it’s time to get back to some scotch, and what better than to try a widely available whisky, one you can get hold of anywhere in the world : Ballantine’s 12 year old.
Ballantine’s 12 year old , 40% , £31.17
Nose: Some smoke comes to mind at first sniff, then tones down to reveal butterscotch, vanilla, fruit (apple, pear and banana sweetness too) , almond and nuts with a few notes of vanilla and honey.
Palate: Spices, and quite some smoke, very nice stuff. then off to the fruitier notes with vanilla, sherry influence is also noticeable with some sultanas, and quite a bit of pepper and spice… a bit tannin-y with the banana peel making a comeback.
Finish: Spice,dry and not very long, maybe bit of wood and wee ash/smoke remnants.
Actually I am quite fond of this profile, with the smoke and fruit, it feels rather nice, and even with some ice (yes, it’s summer and it’s allowed) It’s lovely. Not the most complex,or full bodied dram ever, but it delivers a nice sip.
Score: 82/100
Official sample provided by RT comms.
Have to try that one too! Ballantine’s Finest actually was my first whisky ever and funnily enough also the one that got me hooked into Scotch.
As I am typing, I am drinking a glass from a bottle of Ballantine’s Finest that I got from my uncle who claims it to be around 30 years old. Definitely one for the history-books, with the back-label in German (in contrast to today’s global branding^^). Great!
Cheers!
Cato