Ballantine’s 21 Year Old Warming Spices Blended Scotch Whisky

let’s begin

What better way to warm up than with a dram of Ballantine’s Warming Spices?

This particular bottling is a celebration of Ballantine’s Warming Spices and a new release from the brand.

the brand

Ballantine’s have been around since 1827, when they were founded by Geogre Ballantine. Like many Whisky brands, he started selling his blends out of his grocery store in Edinburgh.

Today they are one of the biggest selling blends and widely popular all over the world.

They’ve recently brought out a retail exclusive 21 Year Old Warming Spices Edition that is enticing travellers with a celebration of the brand’s signature age statement.

the bLEND

This release, brought out in November, has been created by Sandy Hyslop, Director of Blending at Ballantine’s.

Hyslop described the process of making the Whisky and the resulting flavour, “When given the rare opportunity to experiment with our beloved 21 Year Old blend, I wanted to celebrate the alchemy of the continuous interactions between the whisky and the cask over 21 years.”
Over time, layers of spice develop and flourish; from hints of stem ginger, through to sweet cinnamon and spicy liquorice. This limited release showcases this evolution of flavour and delivers amplified layers of complex spices which pay homage to 21 years of maturation.”

The brand is keen to emphasise the lovely warming spices of the blend, which are developed with time in oak casks.

Tasting notes for Ballantine's Warming Spices

The nose opens with lots of spice and oak wood. Cinnamon, nutmeg and orchard flavours abound. Caramel and vanilla tie in perfectly with the spices, really bringing out the sweetness and depth of flavour.

The palate is equally rich, with lots more oak wood and hints of ginger. The spices develop really well here, bringing in that warmth. There is a lovely earthy edge to the overall flavour, with the oak wood coming out really well.

It ties in well with the spices and the sweetness, bringing in flavour of heather and dew covered grass. This adds a refreshing note to the dram.

The finish is strong, with lots of heat and oak wood.

This is a really exciting dram from Ballantine’s and absolutely perfect, whether it’s a present or simply for a bit of indulgence.

Tags: Ballantine'sBallantine’s 21 Year OldBlended Scotch whiskyWinter Spices

Greg

My name is Greg, and I’m a brand strategy consultant, writer, speaker, host and judge specialising in premium spirits. My mission is to experience, share and inspire with everything great about whisky, whiskey, gin, beer and fine dining through my writing, my brand building and my whisky tastings.