(Photo: Ballantine's)
On Monday, blended scotch whisky producer Ballantine's continued its Masterclass Collection with a new expression simply dubbed "The Waiting."
The opulent scotch was sourced from 40-year reserves laid down by former master blender Jack Goudy in American oak casks. Current master blender Sandy Hyslop, once an apprentice to Goudy, says that the liquor acts as a testament to "both men's hands."
Tasting notes are few and far between for the scotch, bottled at a cask strength of 45.4% ABV. The brand says to expect "smooth sweet tones" alongside "gentle smoke" and "a powerful experience of flavor depth and intensity." The expression has been limited to just 108 bottles and is slated to release worldwide this month at a suggested retail price of $12,000.
“Time brings distinction to a whisky, but it also brings huge responsibility. You need a combination of patience, passion and dedication to meticulously monitor and nose hundreds of samples a day to pinpoint the exact moment that a flavour profile has reached its maximum potential. It has to be exactly right because there’s no turning back the clock!"
Expectedly, a $12,000 scotch comes inside a $12,000 package. Each bottle of The Waiting is individually numbered and decorated with gold accents by hand. The presentation box is dressed in a 3D art piece designed by Scottish artist Kyla McCallum, renowned for combining origami and geometry into large-scale paper sculptures.
Each expression in the Masterclass Collection is designed as a tribute to Jack Goudy, who worked for the brand between 1959 and 1994. The first bottling in the series, dubbed The Remembering, dropped last year at a similar price point of $11,000. Two dozen of those bottles were released exclusively on NFT platform BlockBar and still appear to be on sale.
In lieu of precise tasting notes for The Waiting, we can draw up a rough sketch based on what we know about the previous 40-year expression. The Remembering was said to boast aromas of fresh apricots, caramelized figs, Seville orange marmalade and charred pineapple followed by a palate of spiced red apples, blackcurrant jam, dark chocolate and clove.
Ballantine's plans to release Masterclass Collection Three and Four in 2025 and 2026 respectively, leading up to the fifth and final edition in 2027 coinciding with the brand's 200th anniversary.
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