In 1827 farmer’s son, George Ballantine, set up his grocery shop in Cowgate, Edinburgh and began supplying whiskies to his customers. Then in 1865, when he opened a larger store in Glasgow, he began experimenting with making his own blends and the Ballantine’s brand was born. He brought his two sons into the business and started trading as George Ballantine & Son.
In 1895, Queen Victoria awarded the company a Royal Warrant and in 1938 George Ballantine & Son received the Grant of Heraldic Arms, recognising the company as an incorporation noble on the noblesse of Scotland. The crest now appears on every bottle of Ballantine’s Scotch whisky featuring the Scottish flag and the four essential elements of whisky making.
Pernod-Ricard acquired the brand in July 2005 with its acquisition of Allied Domecq. Ballantine’s is the world’s second best-selling blended whisky with annual sales of 6.2 million nine litre cases. Its range starts with Finest (no age statement) and running through to a 17 year old and a 30 year-old.
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