Type | Blended Scotch whisky |
---|---|
Manufacturer | Chivas Brothers (Pernod Ricard) |
Country of origin | Scotland |
Introduced | 1827 |
Alcohol by volume | 40% |
Website | Ballantine's |
Ballantine's is a brand of blended Scotch whisky produced by the Chivas Brothers subsidiary of Pernod Ricard in Dumbarton, Scotland.
The Ballantine's flavour is dependent on fingerprint malts [1] [2] from Miltonduff and Glenburgie, [3] blended with 50 single malts and four single grains. The brand has won many accolades and awards for its products. [4]
The world's second highest selling Scotch whisky in 2021, [5] it has historically been strong in Southern Europe. [6]
Ballantine's Scotch whisky can trace its heritage back to 1827, when farmer's son George Ballantine set up a small grocery store in Edinburgh supplying a range of whiskies to his clientele. [7] In 1865 George delegated the store's operation to his eldest son, Archibald, while he opened a larger establishment in Glasgow. Here he concentrated on the wine and spirit trade, catering to clients that included the Hindu Royal Family.[ which? ][ citation needed ] He also began to create his own blends. These inspired additional demand, drawing second son, George junior, into the business. Trading as "George Ballantine and Son Ltd", the firm added a bonded warehouse and began to export their Scotch. George senior retired in 1881 and died 10 years later at age 83 with George junior taking over.[ citation needed ]
Business thrived under George junior, and the family sold out profitably to the firm of Barclay and McKinlay in 1919.[ citation needed ] Building on the reputation and goodwill of the "Ballantine's" name, the new owners focused on developing it as a brand for their blended whiskies. When increasing resources were needed to compete fully in the growing world market, the internationally experienced Canadian distilling concern of Hiram Walker Gooderham & Worts acquired Ballantine's in 1937. The next year the company received the Grant of Heraldic Arms featured on their bottles, recognising George Ballantine & Son as an "incorporation noble on the Noblesse of Scotland".
The new owners' first task was to secure fillings, to which end the Miltonduff and Glenburgie Distilleries were purchased, and a massive new grain distillery – the largest in Europe – built at Dumbarton.[ citation needed ] During the 1960s the company turned to Europe – at that time an unexplored market for Scotch whisky – and by 1965 had secured such a strong foothold there that it resolved to gear the home trade to supporting the overseas business.
Strong distribution and the popularity of Scotch whisky in the mid-1980s were key influencers in growth. Ballantine's was named the number one brand in Europe and the third largest in the world in 1986 with the oldest product Ballantine's Finest. In Korea, Ballantine's is the clear number one in the category with its ever-popular Ballantine's 17 in addition to 21 and 30. In 1988, the company became part of the global beverage conglomerate Allied Domecq.
In 2002 the large Dumbarton Grain distillery was mothballed, with production shifting to the Strathclyde Grain distillery in the Gorbals of Glasgow.[ citation needed ] In 2005 Ballantine's was acquired by Pernod Ricard. Ballantines still maintain a large bonded warehouse complex in Dumbarton East and a bottling plant to the North of the town.
In 2006, Sandy Hyslop was appointed as Ballantine's Master Blender – the 5th Master Blender in Ballantine's 180-year history.[ citation needed ]
In November 2024, Ballantine’s releases its first single grain expression, named Ballantine’s Single Distillery. [8]
Ballantine's produces a range of seven expressions with various characteristics and age statements:[ citation needed ]
Scotch whisky, often simply called whisky or Scotch, is malt whisky or grain whisky made in Scotland.
The Glenlivet distillery is a Speyside single malt Scotch whisky distillery near Ballindalloch in Moray, Scotland, that produces single malt Scotch whisky. It is the oldest legal distillery in the Highlands of Scotland. It was founded in 1824 and has operated almost continuously since.
Allied Domecq PLC was an multinational company, headquartered in Bristol, United Kingdom, that operated spirits, wine, and quick service restaurant businesses.
Pernod Ricard is a French company best known for its anise-flavoured pastis apéritifs Pernod Anise and Ricard Pastis. The world's second-largest wine and spirits seller, it also produces several other types of pastis.
Grant's is a blended Scotch whisky, produced by the company William Grant & Sons in Scotland.
Laphroaig distillery is a single malt Scotch whisky distillery on Islay, Scotland. It is situated on the south coast of the island, near Port Ellen, at the head of a small bay known as Loch Laphroaig. The Lagavulin and Ardbeg distilleries are close by.
Chivas Regal is a blended Scotch whisky produced by the Chivas Brothers subsidiary of Pernod Ricard in Scotland.
William Grant & Sons Ltd is an independent, family-owned Scottish company that distills Scotch whisky and other selected categories of spirits. It was established in 1887 by William Grant, and is run by Grant's descendants as of 2018. It is the largest of the handful of Scotch whisky distillers remaining in family ownership.
A master blender is an individual who develops specific blended spirits using a combination of spirits with different characteristics. For example, in the Scotch whisky industry, master blenders choose which single malts and grain whiskies to combine to make particular brands of blended whisky. A master blender is not the same thing as a master distiller, although one person may do both jobs at small craft distilleries. As the name suggests, the blender creates blends using spirits from different casks and is responsible for making sure the product remains consistent across different batches, while the distiller is either directly responsible for the mashing and distilling of spirits or simply holds the title as the administrative and marketing figurehead of the company.
Jameson is a blended Irish whiskey produced by the Irish Distillers subsidiary of Pernod Ricard. Originally one of the six main Dublin whiskeys at the Jameson Distillery Bow St., Jameson is now distilled at the New Midleton Distillery in County Cork. It is by far the best-selling Irish whiskey in the world; in 2019, annual sales passed 8 million cases. It has been sold internationally since the early 19th century, and is available to buy in over 130 countries.
As of 2006 most distilled spirits labelled as "whisky" in India were a form of Indian-made foreign liquor, commonly blends based on neutral spirits that are distilled from fermented molasses with only a small portion consisting of traditional malt whisky, usually about 10 to 12 percent. Outside India, such a drink would more likely be labelled a rum. According to the Scotch Whisky Association's 2013 annual report, unlike in the European Union (EU), "there is no compulsory definition of whisky in India, and the Indian voluntary standard does not require whisky to be distilled from cereals or to be matured. Very little Indian 'whisky' qualifies as whisky in the EU owing to the use of molasses or neutral alcohol, limited maturation and the use of flavourings. Such spirits are, of course, considerably cheaper to produce than genuine whisky." Such molasses-based blends made up 90 percent of the spirits consumed as "whisky" in India in 2004, although whisky wholly distilled from malt and other grains, was also manufactured and sold. By 2004 shortages of wheat had been overcome and India was one of the largest producers. Amrut, the first single malt whisky produced in India, was launched in Glasgow, Scotland in 2004. After expanding in Europe it was launched in India in 2010.
Lochside distillery was a Highland single malt Scotch whisky and grain whisky distillery in Montrose, Angus.
Glencadam distillery is a distillery in Brechin, Angus, Scotland that produces single malt Scotch whisky. The distillery is owned by Angus Dundee plc and produces one malt whisky, with the remainder of production sold to blenders or used within Angus Dundee plc for use in blended whisky brands.
Teacher's Highland Cream is a brand of blended Scotch whisky produced in Glasgow, Scotland by Suntory Global Spirits, a subsidiary of Suntory Holdings of Osaka, Japan.
Chivas Brothers is a Scottish company that distills Scotch whisky. It is owned by Pernod Ricard since 2001.
Glenburgie distillery, is Speyside single malt Scotch whisky distillery located near Alves, Moray, Scotland.
Blenders Pride launched in 1995. It is a Rum brand of Indian whisky, owned by Pernod Ricard. It is a blend of Indian grain spirits and imported Scotch malt.
Dalmunach distillery is a Scotch whisky distillery located in Carron, in the whisky region of Speyside. Built for the Chivas Regal blends, it is owned by the Chivas Brothers, a subsidiary of Pernod Ricard group. The water source comes from the nearby Ballinom Burn, which originates in the Mannoch Hills. The distillery is named for a nearby pool on the River Spey. The distillery is located beside the Speyside Way and Moray Way, long-distance footpaths in the region.
Inverleven distillery was a Lowland single malt Scotch whisky distillery in Dumbarton, Scotland.