Imperial Classic 12 Year Old by Ballantine's (70cl, 40%)
Produced by Ballantine's, not to be confused with the Imperial distillery, this is the premium blend that Ballantine's have in their range of bottlings. Carefully aged and distilled from the purest malt and water of Scotland, specially blended by the Ballantine's world class master blender. The backbone of the Ballantine's blend comes from Glenburgie & Miltonduff distilleries along with various other whiskies from distilleries in Scotland.
Currently produced by Pernod-Ricard as part of its Chivas Brothers arm, Ballantine's is one of the top three best-selling blends in the world. The brand's origins date back to 1827 when George Ballantine established a wine and spirits shop in Edinburgh, moving into the whisky blending business in 1865. The flagship Ballantine's Finest was first launched in 1910. Its popularity caught the eye of Canadian distilling giants, Hiram Walker, in 1936. They were cash-rich having capitalised on US prohibition in the previous decade and were looking to make a move into the Scotch industry, also acquiring the Miltonduff and Glenburgie distilleries. Today the Ballantine's name is still so strong that Chivas Brothers market both of their single malts under its brand.