Ballantine's 40 Year Old, Label No. 4 / 43% / 0.7l

Ballantine's 40 years old is the undisputed Rolls Royce of the blended whisky category. It was included in the range in 2012 with the announcement of an edition of 100 bottles for each of the following years.

This sublime spirit is the creation of Sandy Hayslop, the master blender of George Ballantine & Sons, inspired by the founder's mission of blending a perfect whisky "only when the time is right". Sandy claims that each Ballantine's whisky he creates offers a balance of aromas and flavours, but the idea of ​​complete perfection guided the creation of the 40-year-old version, which he managed to achieve. He believes that George Ballantine would be proud of his creation, as well as his personal contribution to raising the standards of the brand. Each bottle is signed by the creator and engraved with the Ballantine emblem, and the whole thing is completed by an elegant wooden display case. Sandy describes his creation as an extremely subtle whisky, with aromas of pears in syrup and fruitcake rich with dried fruit, complemented by cinnamon and ginger; an almost velvety whisky, with an extraordinary depth of flavours, the layers of which overlap and complement each other, while sweet toffee and ripe red apples flow into a heavenly finish that stretches into infinity.