Ballantine’s 7 yo Bourbon Finish Whisky

Wandering around the supermarket in Tamarin Mauritius I spotted a Ballantine’s whisky I have not tried before; the Ballantine’s 7 yo Bourbon Finish blended Scotch whisky. I love Ballantine’s whisky. I have many bottles in my collection and have written about them extensively. So this bottle landed in my trolley pretty quickly.

Ballantine’s blended whisky is one of the largest Scotch whisky brands and is available in over 160 countries. Ballantine’s is currently owned by Chivas Brothers, part of the larger Pernod Ricard group.

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The Ballantine’s Bourbon Finish is a permanent addition to the core range and was released in September 2020. It is a blend of single malts and single grain whiskies for a traditional Ballantine’s expression that was aged for a minimum age of seven years, before being finished in ex-bourbon casks, sourced from Kentucky.

The new whisky is inspired by founder George Ballantine, who started selling his own 7 years old aged whisky in the 1870s. It was also a time when Ballantine’s was one of the first companies to be importing ex-bourbon casks from America.

Ballantine’s 7 yo Bourbon Finish Whisky Review

ABV: 40%

COLOUR: Deep Gold

NOSE: Elegant and soft with oak and tropical coconut notes. Caramel sweetness and light vanilla with fruity notes. The nose is quite sweet and not very complex.

PALATE: Creamy oak with hints of black pepper and fresh apples. On the palate, the 7 yo whisky is bolder and less sweet as suggested by the nose. Hints of fruity sweetness, caramel, and vanilla with something biscuity in the background.

The Bourbon Finish has a medium body and is easy to drink. It is not the most complex dram and quite sweet on the palate.

FINISH: Medium length with oak and hints of sweetness that moves to black pepper.

RATING: VERY GOOD

Probably the least favourite of the Ballantine’s that I have tried. It is far more delicate than even the standard Ballantine’s Finest whisky. It lacks a bit of the Ballantine’s complexity that I enjoy. Having said that, my bottle is nearly finished, so it is not a bad whisky at all. Just not as complex and sassy as some of the other releases.

In South Africa, the standard ABV is 43%, so it takes a bit to get used to the lower ABV. I need to concentrate on not adding water too quickly. I have not seen it in SA yet, but online it retails for around € 23. The Ballantine’s 7 blended whisky is available in Mauritius for around RS1700 and I have seen it around the bigger supermarkets.

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