Pernod Ricard brand Ballantine’s has unveiled its 40 Year Old Masterclass Collection: a limited series with five annual releases, featuring crafted blends from casks laid down by Jack Goudy, who was Master Blender from 1959 to 1994.
The collection celebrates five essential skills that Goudy passed on to his then apprentice and now Master Blender Sandy Hyslop. The first release in the collection, ‘The Remembering’, marks Hyslop’s 40th anniversary in the industry. 27 of the 108 bottles of ‘The Remembering’ are available in travel retail from this month.
This launch also marks Ballantine’s first NFT release in partnership with BlockBar.com – the global marketplace selling wines and spirits authenticated via blockchain directly from luxury brands.
Bottled at natural strength after a 40-year maturation in oak casks, ‘The Remembering’ has been crafted with influence from the whisky of now-closed Dumbarton Distillery, where Hyslop started on his journey of becoming a Master Blender under Goudy’s guidance.
At Dumbarton Distillery, traditional Coffey stills were used, which has given a creamy smooth character to the Masterclass Collection blend. It has been further enriched with sweetness from being matured in fine American Oak casks. ‘The Remembering’ has flavours of spiced red apple and notes of warming clove spice and lavish toffee.
Hyslop remarked, “This is an incredibly special and poignant collection to work on, as I was taken back to my early days spent in the warehouse with Jack.
“The fact that Jack nosed these whiskies holds special significance, and this first chapter is a tribute to the distinctive character of Ballantine’s and the guidance and inspiration on which I’ve built my own skills. The lessons I learnt from Jack are repeated to my own team now, and they’ll be continued to be passed on in years to come.”
Sealed in individually numbered bottles that are decorated by hand and infilled with gold, the design reflects the rarity of Ballantine’s 40 Year Old Masterclass Collection: ‘The Remembering’.
The outer packaging is wrapped in a 3D paper art piece, created exclusively for the Masterclass Collection by Scottish artist Kyla McCallum.
The fifth and final chapter of this collection will be released in 2027 to mark the brand’s 200th anniversary.
Pernod Ricard Global Travel Retail Vice President of Marketing Liya Zhang said: “We’re very proud to unveil the new Ballantine’s 40 year old Masterclass Collection in travel retail. Deeply rooted in heritage and commitment to outstanding quality, we’re confident these new ultra-limited releases will delight travellers and whisky enthusiasts looking for the perfect liquids for collecting and gifting.” ✈
