According to Pernod Ricard Travel Retail, the Asian duty free channel has responded enthusiastically to the arrival of Ballantine’s 40 Year Old with markets selling at least half their allocation within the first week of its launch.

 

With just 100 bottles produced, Ballantine’s 40 Year Old has been released in limited quantities to key airports in Korea, Singapore and Macau as well as Korean Air.

 

“Ballantine’s 40 Year Old has proved a tremendous success in Asia Travel Retail,” says Kyung Min, Ballantine’s Senior Brand Manager, Pernod Ricard Asia Duty Free.

 

“In Singapore alone, we sold seven bottles within six days of the Travel Retail launch. The initial response to Ballantine’s 40 Year Old has demonstrated there are huge demands from wealthy world travellers seeking the very best in ultra prestige and luxury Scotch whisky.  Ballantine’s 40 Year Old is the perfect brand to satisfy this demand.”

 

NOTES OF SYRUP, FRUITCAKE AND GINGER

PRTR describes the whisky: “Using limited amounts of a rare inventory of aged whiskies, Master Blender Sandy Hyslop has blended together a unique luxury Scotch in the famed Ballantine’s style.”

 

[Left: Ballantine’s 40 year old display at an airport in Korea]

 

Ballantine’s 40 Year Old is a 43% ABV blended Scotch with notes of pears in syrup, fruitcake, cinnamon and root ginger. “The liquid has a complex and fruity character and a round, smooth and perfectly balanced body that imparts flavours of toffee and sweet red apple,” adds Ballantines.

 

Presented in a wooden cabinet, the Ballantine’s 40 Year Old bottle features an etching of the Ballantine’s crest alongside Sandy Hyslop’s signature. British silversmith Richard Fox has crafted five sterling silver elements to complete the presentation – the stopper, collar, seal, label and base cup, which are each individually hallmarked by the London Assay office, the mark of silver quality for more than 700 years.