Ballantine’s captures meaningful moments through expertly crafted blends in a new collection, with each Scotch fully finished in a different type of French oak casks.
Ballantine’s, the world’s second-largest Scotch whisky*, announces the release of its new 23 Year Old Golden Hour series, capturing the magnetism of the ‘golden hour’ and recognising the importance of marking special moments. The new collection is rooted in Ballantine’s ethos of “Time Well Spent”, a concept which highlights the importance of making time to create moments that truly matter. Exclusive to global travel retail, each expression released in the series will complement the original Ballantine’s 23 Year Old, offering a unique twist on the Scotch’s much loved signature style through different French oak cask finishes.
The inaugural release in the collection, expertly crafted by Master Blender Sandy Hyslop, offers a unique taste experience with the award-winning 23 Year Old blend being fully finished in former Cognac casks – a first in the Ballantine’s portfolio. The finest French oak casks were meticulously hand-selected to trial innovative ways of bringing a captivating new depth of flavour to an already outstanding whisky. The result is a stunning Scotch, with subtle sweet and fruity notes of juicy peach on the nose, and sweet toffee with hints of honey blossom on the palate to create a whisky that is rich and long-lasting.
Reflecting on the release, Sandy Hyslop commented:
“Introducing an unexpected twist to our widely loved Ballantine’s 23 Year Old is a big responsibility, and this exclusive new release caters for aficionados searching for a new drinking experience with a sweeter profile. Pushing our cask diversification into ex-Cognac barrels is an exciting innovation in Ballantine’s history, and the result is a luxurious and vibrant Scotch, bursting with fruity notes and a sweetness that feels like it is an exuberance to be shared.”
The inspiration of the ‘golden hour’ is echoed onto a collectable bottle design, with contrasting elements representing the harmonious meeting of day and night, past and future, and Scotch whisky and Cognac.
Pernod Ricard Global Travel Retail will mark this launch with a special retail experience offering shoppers the opportunity to explore the characteristics of Ballantine’s 23 Year Old Golden Hour Edition in selected airports around the world.
Ballantine’s 23 Year Old Golden Hour Edition is bottled at an ABV of 40% will available in selected Asia Pacific airports at a RRP of $279 USD.
For more information, visit ballantines.com or follow @ballantines on social media.
*Source: IWSR 2022
