Every drop in the expressions which form the Masterclass Collection, will come from casks laid down by Jack Goudy, including rare whiskies from now ghost distilleries, and expertly blended by Sandy Hyslop. To preserve the authentic touch of both men’s hands, each chapter from the collection will be bottled at the natural strength after 40 years maturation in oak casks.

The first release in the collection, launched this year to mark Sandy Hyslop’s 40th anniversary in the industry, is named ‘The Remembering’. The blend is both complex and harmonious, with a carefully crafted influence from whisky of now closed Dumbarton Distillery, where Sandy Hyslop first learned from Jack Goudy in his journey to becoming a Master Blender. The distillery was also where traditional Coffey stills were used, resulting in a creamy smooth character enriched with an opulent sweetness from being matured in the finest American Oak casks. Inspired by the skill of sensory memory, and sensations evoked living on in the mind, ‘The Remembering’ is a perfectly balanced whisky, rich and complex, and bursting with flavours of spiced red apple and notes of warming clove spice and lavish toffee.

Commenting on the first release from the Masterclass Collection, Sandy Hyslop, said: “This is an incredibly special and poignant collection to work on, as I was taken back to my early days spent in the warehouse with Jack. The fact that Jack nosed these whiskies holds special significance, and this first chapter is a tribute to the distinctive character of Ballantine’s and the guidance and inspiration on which I’ve built my own skills. The art of whisky crafting is fascinating, with many rules written long ago. The lessons I learnt from Jack are repeated to my own team now, and they’ll be continued to be passed on in years to come.” 

Ballantine’s 40 Year Old Masterclass Collection: ‘The Remembering’ is presented in individually numbered bottles, with a design reflecting the exceptional rarity of this 40 Year Old blend, decorated by hand and infilled with gold. The stunning bottle is housed inside an elegant presentation box, dressed in a delicate 3D paper art piece, created exclusively for the Masterclass Collection by celebrated Scottish artist, Kyla McCallum. 

The launch of ‘The Remembering’ also celebrates Ballantine’s first NFT release in partnership with BlockBar.com, the global marketplace selling wine and spirits authenticated via blockchain directly from luxury brands. Exclusive to BlockBar, 24 of the 108 physical bottles are engraved with “The Remembering” and “1st NFT Release”. Each bottle stored in BlockBar’s state-of-the-art facility in Singapore comes with a digital certificate of authentication. The owner may sell or gift the NFT at any time from purchase, or redeem the physical bottle from April 2024.

Only 108 bottles of Ballantine’s 40 Year Old Masterclass Collection: ‘The Remembering’ will be made available for purchase globally from April 2023, to celebrate Ballantine’s Master Blender Sandy Hyslop’s 40th year in the industry, at specialist retailers and on BlockBar.com for RSP $11,000 USD. The fifth and closing chapter of the collection will be released in 2027 to mark the iconic Scotch’s 200th anniversary.

For more information, visit ballantines.com or follow @ballantines on social media.