Having A Ball With Ballantine’s 7 American Barrel

The number 7 represents “fullness” or “completeness”, so it’s no wonder that Scotch whisky brand Ballantine’s latest offering Ballantine’s 7 American Barrel is a whisky with depth and a touch of sweetness. The whisky honours founder George Ballantine who was aging, and selling seven-year-old Whisky back in the 1870s, way before aging whisky became common practice.

Ballantine’s 7 American Barrel Is A Lucky Pick

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m certainly no drinker, but I’ve seen enough to discern when someone is enjoying a beverage that is just right.

Ballantine’s 7 American Barrel is distilled by blending single malts and single-grain Scotch whiskies that are aged in oak casks for a minimum of seven years, before being finished in charred American barrels, sourced from Kentucky. 

Thanks to the 7-year-old ageing process and the finish in American barrels, this whisky gives you the best of both worlds by combining the depth and complexity of Scotch with the sweet, creamy notes afforded by the American Barrels.

“Ballantine’s 7 American Barrel was created for those who dabble in traditional Scotch or American whiskey, it’s for expanding the palette or the answer to the search of a sweeter taste.”   

Nthabiseng Motsoeneng, Marketing Director, Pernod Ricard South African & Sub-Saharan Africa

Enjoying 7-year-Old Whiskey

So, what’s the best way to enjoy a 7-year-old whiskey?

According to Samuel Phasha, the National Brand Ambassador for Ballantine’s at Pernod Ricard South Africa, the answer is a simple Old Fashioned, “With a couple of dashes of orange bitters to complement the sweet notes of the whisky. However, it’s also delicious neat, on the rocks or with a premium mixer like soda, ginger ale or cola for extra refreshment.”

If an Old Fashioned isn’t your style, why not try the following cocktail recipes?

1. BERRY BEER 

INGREDIENTS

• 50 ml Ballantine’s Finest Whisky 
• 6 Blueberries
• 1 Seedless Lemon
• 1 tablespoon Honey
• 1 Lager/Light beer
• Berries for garnish
• Ice

Suggested Tools

• Old Fashioned glass
• Shaker
• Muddler
• Shaker strainer
• Jigger
• Bar spoon
• Lemon squeezer

METHOD

• Add Blueberries to shaker and crush with muddler
• Add Ballantine’s, Lemon Juice and honey to shaker
• Fill shaker with ice and shake for 30 secs – 1min
• Strain into a glass filled with ice and top with beer

2. COLD BREW KICK

INGREDIENTS

• 35ml Ballantine’s Finest Whisky
• 15ml coffee liqueur
• Cold Brew Coffee
• 5ml sugar syrup

METHOD

• Fill a shaker with ice
• Pour in Ballantine’s Finest, coffee liqueur, and simple syrup. 
• Top with cold-brew coffee
• Shake it up
• Serve for the perfect wake-up call

Ballantine’s 7 American Barrel is available at major liquor outlets for a selling price of R349.00

For further information on Ballantine’s, visit the website.  

#Ballantines7  #StayTrue