News
Ballantine’s wins Gold at the 2024 International Spirits Challenge
International Spirits Challenge
The International Spirits Challenge is a well respected global competition that’s in its 29th year.
Expert judges taste thousands of whiskies and spirits from all over the globe. Tasting is done “blind”, so it’s a totally unbiased result. The ISC is considered by many as the international standard for quality and excellence, so it means a lot to be ranked highly by the judges.
All three expressions from our premium Glenburgie single malt range, 12 Year Old, 15 Year Old and 18 Year Old, won Gold at the ISC. This is a particularly gratifying result for us as the Glenburgie is the single malt at the heart of all of our blends. Whatever your chosen bottle of Ballantine’s, you can rely on quality and great taste through and through.
Let’s talk through some of our Gold award winning whiskies…
The Glenburgie 18 Year Old
The most mature of our distinguished Glenburgie single malt range, 18 Year old is an aromatic whisky with a traditional flavour profile true to its Speyside roots. With a delicious sweetness from aromas of juicy red apples and berries, plus sticky honeycomb, and a taste reminiscent of zesty orange and smooth honey, this amber Scotch is a truly special drink. Try it neat or on the rocks to experience each flavour to its fullest, or give our Pandan & Coconut highball whisky cocktail a go for a tropical twist.
Ballantine’s 17 Year Old
Not to brag, but Ballantine’s 17 Year Old is the longest standing and most awarded 17 year old scotch whisky in the world, so winning the Gold at the ISC didn’t come as a surprise. This delicately blended scotch is aged for a generous 17 years to give it a unique depth of flavour with a sweet and creamy yet subtly smoky taste. Watch master Ballantine’s blender, Sandy Hyslop, talk through the notes in Ballantine’s 17 Year Old scotch.
Ballantine’s 30 Year Old
A rare and luxurious treat, Ballantine’s 30 Year Old scotch whisky is the holy grail of our whisky range. This elegant blended scotch contains whiskies from distilleries that no longer exist, and has mouth watering fruitiness and a touch of vanilla oak. Not only has this exceptional whisky won Gold at the ISC, but it has also been awarded the title of “The World’s Best Blended Scotch” by the WWA for 2024 – an achievement that demonstrates the extraordinary quality of this whisky. Find out about the five master blenders that have made Ballantine’s what it is today, starting from THE George Ballantine, born in 1809, right through to our current skipper, Sandy Hyslop.
Ballantine’s Finest
We have to give this old favourite a mention. Ballantine’s Finest is one of the most popular whiskies in the world, and it deserves a place in every liquor cabinet. The Gold ranking awarded to Ballantine’s Finest at the ISC just goes to show that quality is at the core of everything we do and every bottle in the Ballantine’s range, whether that’s Ballantine’s 30 Year Old, or Ballantine’s Finest. While each expression is different with unique characteristics and depth of flavour, each can be relied upon for delivering excellent taste and a satisfying drinking experience. Ballantine’s Finest has stayed true to its original recipe since 1910, and this recipe is still winning top place today.
How to taste whisky at home
You don’t need to be an expert to really taste whisky. If all this talk of judging whisky has got you wanting to do your own whisky awards at home, then why not?
There’s no rules on whisky tasting. It’s all about your individual palate and how it forms your unique opinion on any particular scotch. Whisky tasting encourages you to really use your senses and appreciate the little things. In our none-stop world, this back to basics approach can be truly refreshing.
And inviting friends to your whisky tasting experience adds a welcome dimension. It can be fascinating to compare palates with peers and see which flavours and aromas stand out for each person.
Read our guide on how to taste whisky for everything you need to host your very own whisky awards ceremony at home.
We just hope you judge our scotch as highly as the International Spirits Challenge. 😉
Get the lowdown on the entire Ballantine’s range, and check out our whisky guide for everything from how whisky is made to the history of the Scottish whisky regions.
Cocktails
Browse our whisky cocktail recipes for tons of inspiration on how to enjoy Ballantine’s Finest.
Try your next serve with our cocktails
Our Range
From our Finest blended Scotch to our iconic collection of aged whiskies, single Malts and exotic flavours, discover the world of Ballantine’s Scotch Whisky.
Learn more about our range