At the 2024 World Whisky Awards, Ballantine’s 30 YO was honored with two prestigious titles: World’s Best Blended Whisky and Best Scottish Blended Whisky 21 Years & Over. Established in 1827 by George Ballantine in Edinburgh, Ballantine’s has a long-standing reputation for crafting exceptional blended Scotch whisky. Initially starting as a grocery store, George Ballantine soon began blending his own whisky, earning recognition for his superior blends.
With George Jr. taking over the business in 1865, Ballantine’s expanded its presence globally, particularly in Europe and Asia. Over time, Ballantine’s continued to innovate, introducing new expressions and blends, with Ballantine’s Finest emerging as the flagship expression in 1938.
Today, Ballantine’s is owned by the French drinks conglomerate Pernod-Ricard, under its Chivas Regal subsidiary. Renowned as one of the world’s best-selling blended Scotch whiskies, Ballantine’s holds a prominent position in the European market and ranks highly internationally. It remains a testament to George Ballantine’s legacy of crafting exceptional blended Scotch whisky.
The Ballantine’s lineup of blended Scotch whiskies features a selection of expressions, including Ballantine’s Finest, Ballantine’s 12 YO, Ballantine’s 17 YO, and Ballantine’s 21 YO. Renowned for their smooth and harmonious profiles, these whiskies have established Ballantine’s as a distinguished name in the realm of Scotch whisky.
Crafted with meticulous attention to detail, Ballantine’s blended whisky is celebrated for its intricate blend of 50 different single malts and four grain whiskies. While the precise composition remains a closely guarded secret, the heart of Ballantine’s lies in the Miltonduff and Glenburgie single malts. These malts contribute rich, fruity, and honeyed notes, adding depth and complexity to Ballantine’s signature flavor profile.
Miltonduff adds additional notes of sweet stone fruit, candied orange, creamy caramel, and toasted almonds, while Glenburgie adds flavors of pear, apple, and peach, along with floral notes of heather and honeysuckle. Glenburgie also brings a certain creaminess and maltiness to the blend, adding depth and complexity to Ballantine’s overall flavor profile.
The Judging Panel described the whisky as exhibiting: Aromas of warm meadow and hay, evolving into cereal notes with a hint of licorice. The palate is subtly sweet and creamy, reminiscent of cream soda with demerara sugar and well-balanced grain and oak flavors. Lingering finish.
Also making the shortlist is Ardnamurchan Maclean’s Nose, No Age Statement, 46% ABV; 12 Years & Under, Hankey Bannister, 12 YO Regency, 42% ABV; and 13 to 20 Years, Chivas Regal, 18 YO, 40% ABV. The Best Blended Limited Release Scotch Whisky is Dewar’s Double Double 21 YO Mizunara, 46% ABV.
Dewar’s Double Double 21 YO Mizunara Blended Scotch Whisky is a special expression from Dewar’s that combines the brand’s traditional blending expertise with the influence of Japanese Mizunara oak casks. The whisky is aged for a minimum of 21 years, allowing it to develop a rich and complex character.
The Mizunara oak casks impart unique flavors to the whisky, including notes of sandalwood, coconut, and a subtle spiciness. These flavors complement the rich and smooth character of the aged Scotch whisky, creating a well-balanced and intriguing drinking experience.
Overall, Dewar’s Double Double 21 YO Mizunara Blended Scotch Whisky offers a harmonious blend of traditional Scottish whisky craftsmanship and the influence of Japanese oak, resulting in a whisky that is both complex, nuanced, and elegant.
The World Whiskies Awards Judging Panel described the whisky as featuring: Musky, fruity aromas with hints of sawdust, honey, and vanilla custard. Elegant, creamy palate with notes of overripe red berries, caramel, toffee, ripe pear, aniseed, and oak spice. Zesty lemon sherbet. Green herbal notes and woodiness on the finish.
Also making the shortlist is Woven Experience N.17 Synchronicity, No Age statement, 46.1% ABV. The World’s Best Blended Single Malt 21 Years & Over is Dewar’s Double Double 37 YO, 40% ABV.
Dewar’s Double Double 37 YO is a blended malt Scotch whisky that undergoes a meticulous maturation process to achieve its exceptional quality and complexity. The maturation process begins with a selection of carefully chosen single malt whiskies, each aged for a minimum of 37 years in oak casks.
After this initial maturation period, the whiskies are carefully blended to create a harmonious and balanced flavor profile. The blend is then transferred to a combination of ex-bourbon and ex-Sherry casks for an additional period of maturation, known as “double maturation.”
During this double maturation process, the whisky is allowed to further develop and mellow, absorbing the rich flavors from the casks. The ex-bourbon casks contribute vanilla and caramel notes, while the ex-Sherry casks add fruity and spicy characteristics.
The result is a beautifully aged, blended malt whisky with a rich and complex flavor profile. Dewar’s Double Double 37 YO is a testament to the art of blending and the quality of craftsmanship that goes into creating each bottle.
The Judging Panel described the whisky as exhibiting a: Rich aroma with oak, leather, spice, caramel, and burnt sugar. Notes of dried and orchard fruits combine with homey, toffee sauce, and nuttiness on the palate, which has a mouth-coating texture. Culminates in a long, gently drying finish.
For some additional, award winning blended whiskies see also Three Ships 5 YO Premium Select, 5 YO, 43% ABV (Best South African Blended); Hellyers Road, Dark Harmony, No Age Statement, 52% ABV (Best Australian Blended Limited Release); Wenzel Whiskey, Wheated 2, 6 YO & 7 YO, 56% ABV (Best American Blended Limited Release); Barrell Craft Spirits, Foundation Bourbon, 5 YO, 50% ABV (Best American Blended); and Coastal Stone Xplore, No Age Statement, 40% ABV (Best Australian Blended).
The World Whiskies Awards is an annual event that recognizes and celebrates the best whiskies from around the globe. Organized by Whisky Magazine, the awards feature a panel of some of the world’s most esteemed whisky experts as judges who blind-taste and evaluate whiskies across various categories, including single malts, blends, bourbons, rye, and grain whiskies.
The awards aim to highlight exceptional whiskies and promote excellence in the whisky industry. They are among the first to recognize how truly international whisky has become by recognizing the top entries across both their countries of origin and by category of whisky. The winners are selected based on their quality, character, and overall drinking experience, making the World Whiskies Awards among the most prestigious honor available to whisky producers and putting it well on its way to becoming the world’s most prestigious whisky competition.
The blended Scotch whisky expressions are all readily available in North America. The international expressions will be harder to find but they are all worth trying.
