Ballantine's
Ballantine's is the brand name of blended Scotch whiskeys manufactured by Chivas Brothers Ltd., UK. Ballantine's has been marketed in Germany by Pernod Ricard Deutschland GmbH since 2005 .
history
In 1827 George Ballantine opened a grocery store with an attached wine and liquor store in Edinburgh at the age of 19 , after a corresponding law in 1823 allowed the private distilling of Scotch whiskey and thus opened the trade. Ballantine relocated its business to the prestigious South Bridge area near Princes Street in Edinburgh in 1837 . There he experimented with mixing malt and grain whiskeys of different ages from different distilleries to get a slightly lighter, more refined product. His experiments in blending different types of whiskey ultimately resulted in a consistent blended scotch whiskey character. The effects of the ripening process on the whiskey and the importance of the choice of barrel for the first filling were decisive factors in the establishment of blended scotch. From 1881 the company George Ballantine & Son Ltd. exported the blended whiskey of the same name worldwide. After his death in 1891 Georges sons carried away his work and received the highest distinction the appointment as purveyor ( Royal Warrant ) of Queen Victoria . Ballantine's later also became the official supplier for her son, Edward VII ( Wine Merchants to His Majesty King Edward ). Ballantine's prestige culminated in 1937 with the award of a coat of arms by the Lord Lyon King of Arms of Scotland. Ballantine's breakthrough as a Scotch whiskey brand came with the takeover of the spirits company Hiram Walker Gooderham & Worts in 1937. A year later, Ballantine's coat of arms, which can still be found on every bottle today, was added - the Scottish flag paired with the four main ingredients for making scotch whiskey: barley , water, pot stills and oak barrels. With the varieties Ballantine's Finest, Ballantine's 12 Year Old and Ballantine's Pure Malt, Ballantine's achieved total sales of over 50 million liters (2012) and is one of the most famous Scotch whiskey brands in the world.
Blending
The master blenders are responsible for the quality of the Ballantine's range, of which there have only been five in the 180-year history of the Scottish whiskey brand. Your job is to ensure that the character of a Ballantine's is consistent with a quality standard. The mixing ratio of the individual whiskeys used in Ballantine's blends is a company secret. For Ballantine's production, malt and grain whiskeys are selected from four whiskey regions of Scotland - the Islands , the Highlands , Speyside and the Lowlands .
Ballantine's Finest
Ballantine's Finest is located in the low price segment. To ensure a uniform, rich color tone that the dye is whiskey caramel added.
literature
- Charles MacLean (Ed.): Whiskey. World Guide, Regions, Distillers, Malts, Blends, Tasting Notes. Dorling Kindersley, London et al. 2008, ISBN 978-0-7566-3349-3 .
- Walter Schobert: The whiskey dictionary. Fischer Taschenbuch Verlag, Frankfurt am Main 2003, ISBN 3-596-15868-0 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ The Millionaires Club 2013 Drinks International, accessed June 12, 2013.