🥃 Ballantine's 17 Year Old
The seventeen-year line of Ballantine's blended Scotch whisky; according to Difford's Guide, 40% ABV, with orchard fruit and light smoke.
Ballantine's 17 Year Old is the seventeen-year line of Ballantine's blended Scotch whisky. According to Difford's Guide, it is bottled at 40% ABV and produced by Chivas Brothers, part of the Pernod Ricard group. The source describes the taste as sweet orchard fruit with a faint smoke. The age on the label is the age of the youngest whisky in the blend.
Production. Difford's Guide does not specify the blend's composition or cask types. The reviewer noticed toasted oak, vanilla, light cinnamon and nutmeg on the nose, sweet red apple on the palate, and a more distinct light wood smoke in the finish. Under the Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009, an age statement guarantees that every component matured in Scotland for at least the stated number of years.
Why this matters to you. Compare this line with Ballantine's 12 Year Old to see what five extra years of maturation add, or with the 30 Year Old if you are interested in the brand's oldest expression. Check the strength on the label. The WHO reminds us that no level of alcohol consumption is safe.
Facts
| Year founded | Ballantine's brand: 1827 (shop in Edinburgh); own blends from 1865, Glasgow |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2890) (Blended Scotch Whisky) |
| EU category | whisky, blended Scotch |
| Minimum maturation | 17 years (age of the youngest whisky) |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 40% ABV (according to Difford's Guide) |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Ballantine's 17 Year Old → packed in → 🍷 Oak barrel ← packed in ← 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Packed in
- 🍷 Oak barrel
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🥃 Ballantine's, 🥃 Blended Scotch Whisky
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Ballantine's 12 Year Old, 🥃 Ballantine's 12 Year Old, 🥃 Ballantine's 30 Year Old, 🥃 Ballantine's Finest, 🥃 Ballantine's Hard Fired, 🥃 Ballantine's 30 Year Old, 🥃 Ballantine's Finest, 🥃 Ballantine's Hard Fired, 🥃 Scotch Whisky, 🥃 Chivas Regal
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that the 17 Year Old is a single malt?
No. It is a blended Scotch; single malts are only part of the blend.
What is the strength of Ballantine's 17 Year Old?
According to Difford's Guide, 40% ABV (80 proof); check the label for the final figure.
What does the number 17 mean?
The age of the youngest whisky in the blend; older components are also possible.
What to read next
- 🥃 Ballantine's 30 Year Old — The thirty-year line of Ballantine's blended Scotch whisky, the top of the range; sources give different strengths.
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Oak barrel — A wooden barrel of oak staves in which wine matures and breathes.
- 🥃 Chivas Regal — Blended Scotch whisky of Chivas Brothers (Pernod Ricard); according to the company archive, created in 1909 by Charles Howard as a blend with 25-year-old whisky.
- 🥃 Ballantine's Hard Fired — Ballantine's line with no age statement, matured in bourbon casks re-charred in Scotland; according to Difford's Guide, 40% ABV.
Similar
🥃 Ballantine's 12 Year Old · 🥃 Ballantine's Finest · 🥃 Ballantine's 30 Year Old · 🥃 Ballantine's Hard Fired · 🥃 Dewar's 15 Year Old · 🥃 Dewar's 12 Year Old
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- Difford's Guide: Ballantine's 17 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky (40 %, Chivas Brothers, sweet orchard fruit and subtle smokiness)
- Difford's Guide: George Ballantine and Son Ltd, history and range (1827 Edinburgh, 1865 Glasgow, Finest, 12, 17, 30; Pernod Ricard since 2005)
- The Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2890), reg. 3: Scotch Whisky and its categories (Scotland, oak up to 700 l, min. 3 years, min. 40 % ABV)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)