Review: BALLANTINES 17yo – #20 hit

Okay so I bought this bottle for one reason; “whisky of the year 2011” according to Jim Murray. A whisky that scores 97.5 points out of 100 and beats all the single malts must be close to perfection I thought. I was wrong!

This is good whisky especially considering it is a blend. Still it is not my favorite blend. I have tried really harballantines_17d to narrow down what it is that makes Jim Murray refer to this whisky as “One of the most beautiful, complex and stunningly structured whiskies ever created”, but I’ve failed.

Anyways I really enjoy this blend. One of the main reasons is because of its Full-bodied and thick oily palate. The alcohol is nicely concealed and there is a good balance between peppery spices, herbs and butterscotch which, I guess, contributes to the complexity everybody is talking about. In contrast to other smooth whiskies this one offers more depth and even though it will never reach my top ten I can warmly recommend this dram if you are hunting for a smooth and complex blend.

VERDICT: Perfectly viscous with nice contributions of both butterscotch and peppery spices. A great whisky that rises above most other blends out there.

  (6.7/10)

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