Ballantine’s Finest Blended Scotch Whiskey Review

By Richard Thomas

Rating: C

Ballantine's Finest Blended Scotch Whiskey

Credit: Richard Thomas

The square, brown glass bottle of Ballatine’s Finest, the entry-level scotch of the company, is a familiar sight around the world. Even in countries where you can’t find J&B or Jack Daniels, Ballantine’s is usually around. For many years, Ballantine’s was the top-selling scotch in Europe, and it continues to enjoy great popularity both there and in Asia. This has a lot to do with the modest virtues of Ballantine’s, as it’s a reasonably priced scotch that delivers just a little more than what the price tag promises. Ballantine’s is part of a trio of mass market scotch whiskeys, including J&B and Cutty Sark, that are almost always occupying the same pricing slot at the bar or on a supermarket shelf. Of the three, Ballantine’s is the best.

The Whiskey
Ballantine’s puts the “blended” into blended scotch, combining both malt and grain whiskeys made at a handful of different distilleries. Everything that goes into a bottle of Ballantine’s has been aged for at least three years, and the whiskey is bottled at 40% alcohol. The scotch has a light gold color, and has a lovely glint on ice. Most bottles come with an aerator, a feature which I don’t care for.

On the nose, Ballatine’s Finest is a soft, sweet whiskey with a touch of spice and a hint of peat. That musty peat comes forward on the palate, but overall the whiskey’s flavor is one of smooth, lightly sweetened vanilla. The finish is warm, sweet and even.

Price:
Ballantine’s Finest is usually available in the United States for $13 to $15, and in Europe for 8 to 10 euros.

Awards
For an entry-level, standard label, Ballantine’s is actually a well-decorated scotch. In 2006, the whiskey won a Gold at the International Spirits Challenge, and a Silver from the International Wine and Spirit Competition. That was quite an accomplishment for a whiskey from a category that usually manages a “seal of approval.”

11 comments

  1. your scotch is good but you caps are bad. the powder from cap is unnerving,is it lead? your cap is hard to screw back on unless one removes the plastic flow restrictor. please make a modern cap.

  2. JOSEPH D BARRETT JR

    I agree with this review 100%. In my humble opinion this is by far the best blended scotch whiskey for the price. I actually prefer it over some decent single malts that are much more expensive. This blend, to me, seems to lean towards the Speyside region flavor, which is my favorite. Smooth, sweet, and not too smoky (peaty).

    • Got a quick question re: ballantines scotch whiskey bottles. The 3 I have are from “the epic series” 3 different designs. Clear glass bottle but covered/coated in plastic. The one in front of me has a mold of mercury. Can anyone give me any info on the bottles.
      (The plastic covering the bottles is cracked from age. ) Thanks in advance.

    • Agree 100% with your comment. For the price Ballantines is one of the few I would take neat.

    • Good review. I, too, lean towards Speyside singles but will occasionally have a hankering for something a little more smokey. I usually take it neat with a drop of iced water, or straight at room temp. I need a mixer usually for the cheaper blends, but at this price point I was very pleasantly surprised.

      Smooth with a nice sweetness and a slight smokey/peatiness to it. Not normally the biggest peat fan, but it’s well-balanced here.

  3. Thomas McGilloway

    Love the product, hate the speed pouters! Those plastic pourers on the Ballantines 1.75 Liter bottles always stick to the inside of the screw cap. This doesn’t happen with Dewars, or Johnny Walker etc. there must be a way to fix this! I do love the Whiskey though.

  4. Bring back handle and fix screw cap and pour insert. Best whiskey made. 40 year consumer 1.75. Buying a lot of Johnnie Red since handle removed. Also, Red cost less.

  5. robin robertson

    I am having a hard time finding J&B which I have been drinking for years. Found this in the store and looked up the review. Review is accurate. Having my first try now and it is a great scotch

  6. My first taste tonight and I am pleasantly surprised. My memories of peat infused Scotch was not good but, I think the years have mellowed me. I like this very much.

  7. I just pour the 1.75 into empty 750ml I saved,it eliminates no handle problem.I prefer to pour from the 750 when I drink Ballantine’s Only…

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