Scotch whiskey brand Ballantine is introducing the second product of its ‘Ballantine’s Masterclass Collection’ in the largest quantity in the world in Korea.
On the 27th, Pernod Rica Korea held a launching event for the Ballantine’s 40 Years Master Class Collection The Waiting at Casa Alexis Dosan in Gangnam-gu, Seoul and announced that it would release ‘The Wating’.
Ballantine’s 40 Years Masterclass Collection is a monumental edition that honors the craftsmanship of past master blenders who have presented original blends while adhering to Ballantine’s history and values over a long period of time. From 2023 to 2027, a special edition with a different theme will be released every year, and only 108 bottles will be released worldwide each year in limited quantities.
Last year, we celebrated the 40th anniversary of master blender Sandy Hyslop and were inspired by the ‘scent memorization technique’ taught to us by Jack Goudy, his mentor and Ballantine’s third master blender. ‘The Remembering’ was presented. The Remembering attracted attention as all 6 bottles allocated domestically were sold on the day of release, and the additional 5 bottles were sold out later.
The second ‘The Waiting’, which continued its reputation, highlighted the aesthetics of ‘waiting’, which is the core of the whiskey blending process. Waiting is essential in all processes, including distillation, cask management, maturation, and blending, until the highest quality whiskey is created. This edition is also a product completed through a process of countless hours of time and waiting, and at the same time, it is a product that best shows Valentine’s identity, ‘Time well Spent’.
‘The Waiting’ carefully selected only undiluted liquor that had been aged for more than 40 years among the casks that Jack Gaudi, the previous master blender, personally managed from 1959 to 1994. The juice produced from rare distilleries throughout Scotland, including distilleries that are now extinct, was selected and aged in the highest quality American oak, resulting in a complex flavor that combines soft, sweet, and smoky notes.
Master Blender Sandy Hislop said, “This edition represents more than 40 years of time and waiting as it is completed by blending only the concentrate that has been aged for at least 40 years. “Also, the entire process was a series of waiting, checking hundreds of samples a day and capturing the moment when the best flavor was reached,” he explained.
‘The Waiting’ chose Cask Strength, which is not diluted with water, to fully capture the work of the two master blenders. The result was a blend of spicy apple crumble, caramelized pineapple, and the heavy sweetness of homemade plum jam followed by a long, lingering, subtle smoke flavor.
The domestic allotment quantity is 15 bottles. This accounts for 10% of the 108 bottles, the largest quantity in the world. The price is around 20 million won. Pernod Ricard Korea marketing director Miguel Pascual said, “Reflecting the high demand in Korea, we have been able to receive more than double the quantity of the second product of the Ballantine’s 40 Year Masterclass collection.” “It’s thanks to the love for Valentine’s Day and the high response to our special products,” he said.
In addition, Pernod Rica Korea introduced a limited edition of Ballantine’s single malt whiskey for the first time. This is a special edition ‘Ballantine’s Single Malt Glenburgie Small Batch 16YO’ that is only released in Korea for Korean consumers.
‘Valentine Single Malt Glenburgie Small Batch 16 Year Old’, a prestige single malt whiskey, boasts high scarcity as it is produced only once with 40 limited casks. In particular, it is produced using the cask strength method so that you can personally experience the essence of single malt whiskey, and the signature of the master blender is engraved on every bottle, adding to its collectible value.
Wooyeol Yoon, Donga.com reporter cloudancer@donga.com
Source: www.donga.com
