Ballantine's 12 Year

Whisky number 12 from the batch of 12 affordable blends I've been rating recently. End of the line, but we're finishing on a good note. Nose: Similar to Ballantine's Finest, its younger brother, but with a little more of everything. Malty, caramel and vanilla toffee (Jersey caramels), mellow buttery notes, fruity. Clean but sweet and with a hint of oak - very pleasant. Palate: Creamy sweet and rich honey/caramel arrival, fruity (stone fruits, stewed prunes, oranges), no smoke to speak of, except perhaps in the background of the grain component. Finish: Short. Sweet grains but a touch of oak tannin towards the end. All in all it's a value purchase and perfectly enjoyable neat or with a dash of water. I'd put this in the same league as Dewar's 12 year old. If I was being completely objective I'd probably rate this as 78-79/100, but I have a particular liking for this blend and I buy it a lot, so I'm increasing the score a little to put it in 3 star territory. For the money it really is good value. "Above Average" : 80/100 (3 stars)

really enjoyed drinking this one. need to drink it again, but i remember downing 5 or 6 glasses in a few hours. great taste, not too strong, feels creamy and has got that good vanilla taste. but it's not an entry-level whisky, the taste is somewhat complex and round, very balanced. great option if you're going for a blend but don't want to go for the budget blended scotch ones. also, beautiful bottle, makes it look fancier than it is. V2: smell: vanilla, starbucks whipped cream, very alcoholic though, latte coffee taste: herbal, floral, a bitterness that is almost dark chocolate (maybe cause i tried harmonizing with it). mouthfeel is very round and soft.

Low expectations have the advantage of leaving room for pleasant surprises, as happened with this 12-year-old Ballantine's. The nose is 'Auchentoshan + X': floral, light and fragrant with notes of tinned fruits, marzipan and soft spices. Certainly not bad for a blended Scotch! Heather honey, parsley and a spicy touch of oak dominate the palate, very 'smooth' although I hate to use the word. This whisky does not benefit from additional water. As with most blends, the finish doesn't linger and remains rather vague. Still, it is almost better than JW Black Label. RATING: 3.0/5.0 stars ≙ 80 pts → AVERAGE

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 01/05/2021 Ankara Burun: Tatlı, taze, vanilya ve hissedilebilir meşe notaları alınıyor. Damak: Odunsu aroma tüm damağı kapsayacak şekilde hissediliyor. Bu tatlara vanilya, hafif bal ve çiçeksi bir aroma eşlik ediyor. Bitiş: Bitişte odunsu aromaya isli notalar eşlik ediyor. Kısa ve yuvarlak bir bitişi var. Genel: İçeriğinde Speyside single-maltlarında bulundurul aktadır. Ayrıca eski burbon fıçılarında kullanıldıkları için vanilya ve tatlı bir krema aroması taşımaktadır. Burun ve damak karakteristiği gayet güzel ama kısa bitişli hafif bir viski. Fiyat performansı başarılı. 82/100

Nose - Rich floral fruits, dark caramelized apple cider, prunes, caramel, honey. Taste - Sweet spice, chocolate & honey, dark apple juice, prunes, hint of smoke. Finish - Lingering dark honey sweet, light floral pruney apple cider, light brine JW Blue label is pretty mush same thing, only woodier and a bit richer, but hey for $37 a liter I'm in.

Nose is ethanol and distant floral and fruit. Coloured blend but the taste makes up for the nose. Malt and vanilla builds to a nice full buttery fruit. Almost Sweet finish ends with tart tannin oak but nicely balanced. Not bad at all! I prefer Johnnie Black just for its more characterful delivery but still one of best blends. 3 stars or 90. Enjoy