Become part of a legacy in the making with Ballantine’s 40 Year Old Masterclass collection.
Serving as a tribute to past and present Ballantine’s Master Blenders, the collection celebrates the five essential skills that Jack Goudy, Master Blender between 1959 and 1994, passed on to now world-renowned Master Blender Sandy Hyslop. 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 cask strength, just as these liquids were nosed by the two masters.
After the cask finished, every drop was then poured into 108 individually numbered bottles.
The launch of ‘The Remembering’ also celebrates Ballantine’s first step into the metaverse with 24 of the 108 bottles dropping as NFTs, in collaboration with Blockbar.
The first release in the collection which will span five years, named ‘The Remembering’, is both complex and harmonious, with a distinct influence from whisky of now closed Dumbarton Distillery, where Sandy Hyslop first learned from Jack Goudy in his journey to becoming a Master Blender. Inspired by the skill of sensory memory, and sensations evoked living on in the mind, ≈
Colour
Deep Amber Gold.
Nose
Incredibly rich and fruity: bursting with flavours of fresh apricot, caramelise figs, Seville orange marmalade and charred pineapple. This intertwines with cinnamon, ginger spice and sweet, nutty oak.
Taste
On the palate, this whisky is rich and complex: spiced red apples, homemade blackcurrant jam and juicy, dark cherries combine with notes of lavish toffee, dark chocolate, and warming clove spice.
Finish
The finish endures with a slightly dry complexity. Perfectly balanced.
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.
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. – Sandy Hyslop, Master Blender
The fifth and closing chapter of the collection will be released in 2027 to mark Ballantine’s Scotch’s 200th anniversary.
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