ballantine's finest
- Distillery
- Ballantine's
- Style
- Blended
- Release
- Unspecified
- Age
- Unspecified
- Alcohol
- 40% abv.
- Region
- Scotland
- Bottled For
- Distillery
Ballantine's Finest is a complex, refined and elegant blended scotch whisky. It is regarded as the taste to satisfy a modern style. The original flavour, complexity and refinement comes from more than 50 single malt flavours. The unmistakable Ballantine's flavour is dependent on these 50 single malts, 4 single grains and in particular the fingerprint malts from Miltonduff and Glenburgie. It is balanced because no one single component dominates.
review by coloradodram
- Color
- Gold.
- Nose
- Sour apples, grassy lowlands.
- Body
- Medium bodied, balancing oil and astringency.
- Palate
- Swish this around for awhile...you get a good balance of flowers (lavendar and violet), leather, wet hay, some butter/toffee.
- Finish
- Finally, some malt hits...youthful but lasting quite long for what I gather to be some younger spirits in there, a bit sharp on the edges.
This is a really nice offering at an unbelievable price. I got a 750mL for under $15 USD, expecting nothing but a mixer. I was wrong. This isn't quite up to JW Black, but it blows away JW Red. I'd put it against most spirits served neat at twice the price. Poor on the nose, mediocre on the finish, but a great swisher!
review by the drummer
- Color
- light brown
- Nose
- medium peat presence, mild smoke, molasses , brown sugar, honey suckle, vanilla, ginger, bakery drafts, yankee candle store walk by
- Body
- smooth but strong bitter presents, thick eager to download flavor to your brain. delightful.
- Palate
- see nose
- Finish
- goes down craving for more. chewing really opens up this desert of a dram. big molasses and sugar in the raw aftertaste.
I can tell you with certainty this is one of the best all around blends. The price is so cheap you cant believe the deal. At times the palate reminds me of Lagavulin aged quality. Huge flavor. always have it in your cabinet for an everyday dram.
review by normec
- Color
- light gold
- Nose
- oak ,peat(solty and piny) ,vanilla ,chocolate ,apple, dark caramel ,black pepper ,black currant some floral-herbal notes almost like herbal honey
- Body
- medium ,slow running legs
- Palate
- Elegant ! soft malt ,cocoa ,fresh frits (apple ,lemon ,black currant) ,floral (pine ,mint,herbs) caramel ,vanilla
- Finish
- long ! oak ,apple ,mint ,lemon
it's so good that this fine blend it's so easy to find and i feel true privilege to drink ti !
review by heavy
- Color
- Pale yellow
- Nose
- Raisin, dried fruits, sherry like sweetness.
- Body
- Medium legs, thinner body and pretty watery.
- Palate
- Bad wood like peat, very simple and boring.
- Finish
- Not long, warm, bit dry.
About the worst whisky you can find around here. Cheap simple and not particularly pleasant, although OK. I always choose any other.
review by anonymous
- Color
- Straw
- Nose
- Peaty with a light smoke and dull chocolate
- Body
- Full and mellow
- Palate
- Most excellent, well rounded, tongue caressing, a slow burn with a lingering smoky afterburner
- Finish
- warm and fuzzy
An excellent sipping scotch, in company of women its rated as an industrial strength panty-remover.
review by wilderthanyou2367
- Color
- Light straw yellow
- Nose
- Lots of smoke, alcohol and a little peat.
- Body
- medium
- Palate
- Lots of peat, and a smokey aftertaste.
- Finish
- Warm, tingly and alcoholic
Not bad, but not great. Might be a good introduction to scotch, but alcohol is too prominent
review by colin
- Color
- Straw
- Nose
- Alcohol with a gin like crunch, Sherry, Grain, fudge
- Body
- Smooth, Oily, Medium, Easy
- Palate
- Soft Oloroso Sherry, Grainy, Malt, Sweet apple
- Finish
- Cool and simple, Clean, Slightly spicy
Probably the most palatable whisky I've tasted. Very easy and pleasant. Something to try on the girlfriend.