Why buy Whisky Ballantine's 23 Years

Ballantine's production process begins by first soaking the barley to stimulate its germination, which causes enzymes to be created that transform the starch in the grains into soluble sugars. The barley is then dried and ground. After being crushed it is mixed with hot water to dissolve the fermentable sugars in a repient called Mash Tun, which has been designed to extract the optimal level of a sugary liquid called must, then it is passed to the Wash Back for fermentation and the grains that are not useful are given to the animals to feed, so nothing is wasted.

The next thing that is done is the fermentation, this is a really important part. The yeast is added to the must in the Wash Black to start the fermentation process and convert the sugars into alcohol. The fermentation time is between 48 and 56 hours. The result is a liquid called wash with an ABV of approximately 8%. Now we proceed with the distillation, for which two types of stills are used, the Wash Still and the Spirit Still, both made of copper to give shape to the taste.

The wash is heated with steam to separate it from the alcohol and once it has become steam it rises through the distiller and condenses. Low Wines is the name given to this eau-de-vie and is kept in a safe. It is distilled again in the Spirit Still where only the heart is collected as a new spirit. It is now ready to mature and become one day a Ballantine whisky.

Tasting notes. Sight, smell and taste

This is a bold combination, with notes of succulent fruit and spices that lead to a smooth, satiny finish. Rich and balanced.

Pairing. How to taste it

Like any good whisky, it can be drunk alone, in good company and enjoying all its nuances. It can also be drunk with a little ice.

A little bit of history

George Ballantine set up this business when he was only 19 years old. He acquired a lot of experience in this field and then passed it on to his sons George II, Archibald and Daniel, also to his grandson George III. In 1895 he received royal authorisation from Queen Victoria herself. George Robertson, the next master blender, was not related to the family, but inherited the work after the First World War and a 13-year ban. He created the first 17-year-old Scotch whisky. In 1959 he continued Jack Goudy and trained two other future blenders, ensuring that Ballantine's quality would continue for years to come.

Jack stressed the importance of maturing the whisky in the best American oak. Barrels of the same quality have continued to arrive ever since. It was the turn of Robert Hicks, one of Goudy's prodigies. Robert was a great perfectionist and was known for his privileged nose. Finally, Sandy Hyslop, the current master blender and the other Goudy prodigy. Sandy is bringing fresh air with new flavours of whiskies such as Ballantine's Brasil or Ballantine's Hard Fired, not to mention Ballantine's 40, the oldest in the range and something he is proud of. The dedication and work of these five master blenders has made Ballantine's the number one Scotch whisky in Europe, and number two worldwide.

It's in the Top 160 of economic and cheap products of Whisky and in the Top 1920 of our best seller products.