Ballantine’s

Ballantine’s Finest Blended Scotch Whisky. Scotland. ABV: 40%. Tasted at Sun Shine Bar, Phi Phi Island, Thailand. ฿230 (approx. $10AUD). 

Whisky a Day is on tour for a couple of weeks away…Thailand is an amazing country, but not if you’re searching for a decent whisky.

Overpriced blends seem to dominate the limited selection at most bars. But if the whisky list is your biggest gripe when you’re sitting at a beachside bar on a tropical island with the water lapping at your feet, then life really isn’t too bad!

Colour: Dull gold. 

Nose: Honey flavoured boiled lollies with a few malty, almost Weet-Bix notes. And a surprising nose prickle for a whisky at only 40% ABV.

Palate: A thin mouthfeel. There’s a hint of honey and vanilla at the start, that quickly fades to the disappointment of boiled over-cooked vegetables (think carrots and cauliflower) and some generic oaky notes.

Finish: Slight salty tang and lemony straw flavours, but it’s a short and ultimately unsatisfying finish.

Comments: This is not a whisky made for drinking neat, but in the name of whisky research we must persevere! Like walking through a South-East Asian night market, you know before you start that it’s ultimately going to be an underwhelming experience sipping this without a mixer. 

Drinking a whisky like Ballantine’s Finest on a hot beach makes you feel like you need to add a dash of soda water and slowly fan yourself with a hat and say “Oooh the heat, the heat” while you watch the sunset.