Ballantines Christmas Reserve Limited Edition Blended Scotch Whisky 70 cl 40%

Something happens to a blend when it puts on winter clothes. Christmas Reserve arrives in festive dress, yet the heart of it is the same calm, honeyed Speyside tone the house has traded on since 1827. A dram for the dark hours, once the tree is decorated and the house has gone quiet.

The expert's description

Ballantine's Christmas Reserve Limited Edition is a Blended Scotch Whisky matured in oak casks and bottled at 40 %.

Christmas Reserve is the house's festive release, a limited December bottling built on the same blending school George Ballantine founded when he opened his grocery shop in Edinburgh in 1827. The backbone is Speyside malt from Miltonduff and Glenburgie, two distilleries Ballantine's has drawn on for decades, and the source of the blend's soft, faintly floral centre.

The Christmas dressing is more than decoration. This one is made for the December shelf and disappears again once the new year has turned, which is exactly the sort of bottle that ends up standing unopened in the cabinet. Malt and grain whisky are married here, and the grain gives the round, almost creamy texture that lets it drink well without water.

Tasting notes

Nose

Flower honey and ripe apple first, then vanilla and a dry cereal sweetness. Behind it sits a hint of almond and pale oak.

Palate

Soft and round with caramel, pear and light cinnamon. Malt steps forward halfway through and lends a little weight before the grain settles as a creamy film.

Finish

Short to medium, dry and malty with a last note of honey and oak.

Specifications

Name: Ballantine's Christmas Reserve Limited Edition
Distillery: Ballantine's
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Oak casks
Edition: Christmas Reserve Limited Edition
EAN no.: 5000299603161

Flavour profile

Soft · Honeyed · Fruity · Creamy · Lightly spiced

Did you know?

George Ballantine was 19 when he opened his first shop in Edinburgh. He sold groceries for years before whisky became the main business at all, and the firm received a Royal Warrant from Queen Victoria in 1895.

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Frequently asked questions about Ballantine's Christmas Reserve

What makes Christmas Reserve different from standard Ballantine's?

Christmas Reserve is a limited festive bottling with its own recipe and its own packaging. It is rounder and a touch sweeter than the standard blend, and it is only produced for the December season before disappearing from the shelves again.

Is it peated?

No. There is no peat smoke in this one. The profile runs to honey, apple and malt, so smoke lovers should look elsewhere. That also makes it an obvious bottle when you are pouring for a mixed crowd.

Which malts go into the blend?

Miltonduff and Glenburgie are the load-bearing malts in the Ballantine's blends, both out of Speyside, joined by grain whisky that supplies the soft, creamy texture. The exact recipe for this festive edition is kept close to the chest by the house.

How is it best served?

At room temperature in a tulip-shaped whisky glass, without water to begin with. If you fancy a highball it works surprisingly well with cold sparkling water and a strip of orange peel, which lifts the honey and apple notes.

Does it make a good Christmas gift?

Yes, particularly for someone who is not a geek yet. The blend is mild enough for a beginner while carrying a decent Speyside core that an experienced drinker can nod along to. The box and the label do the rest of the work under the tree.

Can you cook with it?

Easily. A blend with this sweetness holds up well in a cream sauce for game or in a festive dessert built on apples and caramel. Keep the expensive single malts for the glass and let the blend work in the pan.

How long does the bottle keep once opened?

A couple of years without trouble if you keep it dark and cool and screw the cap on properly. Once less than a third is left it moves faster, because the air in the bottle starts eating the aromatics.