Ballantine's 21 Year

Comparing it to the 17-year-old, which serves as the benchmark, is unavoidable. Nose: Faint, with a strong alcohol presence but also caramel. Licorice is dominant. Palate: Consistently caramel, with a more oily texture than the 17-year-old, but also seems more ordinary and less complex. Licorice remains predominant. Notes of sherry and burnt smoke, which were absent in the 17-year-old, are present here. It's sweeter. Finish: Sweet yet bitter. Compared to the 17-year-old, this is a completely different whisky. It's less fresh (which I consider a key characteristic of the 17-year-old, making it a versatile choice), but decidedly more full-bodied. However, if I had to be honest, it's also less enjoyable. Nevertheless, it's a quality product. Score: 3.80

Revisiting my past experiences with Ballantine's, I present my assessment of the 21-year-old version. I acknowledge beginning with the 30-year-old, but its perfect score prompted that start, fueled by the satisfaction of a fine dram. This expression also proved excellent, though not quite reaching the heights of the 30-year-old. Nevertheless, the characteristics present here were remarkably clear and accessible, genuinely delightful. On the nose: Confectionery, subtle sweetness, red apples, cider; that exceptional citrus note, reminiscent of fresh orange juice and zest. The signature vanilla character found in all Ballantine's expressions was also detected. On the palate: A touch direct, yet in an elegant and pleasing manner, featuring milk chocolate and prunes. Finishing: A lengthy, smoky aftertaste with suggestions of wood smoke. Quite good. In summary, this dram is outstanding, earning a rating of 90 out of 100.

Sweet caramel, light oak, woody notes, mid-palate pepper, dense raisins 2.75 Almond, sweetness, delicate lightness, but also a mild bitterness towards the end that I find unpleasant 2 No peat, I expected more but there's actually very little. Much more oaky with a mid-length finish 2.25 2 Creamy caramel sweetness, mid-palate peppery, oak, raisins, dryness 2 Oak-forward, dry, slight sweetness 2 Oak-forward 2 2

향 : 바닐라 상큼 맛 피니쉬 : 약간의 스모키함 명성과 가격 대비 형편없는듯함 입문용으로는 굳이지만 이가격이면 리벳15 피딕15 사고 치킨 뜯어도 남는 가격임 기대가 커서 그런걸수도 있지만 특색이 전혀없음 피니쉬도 스모키함 좀 느껴지고 끝 부드러움 말고 장점을 모루겠음 3대장 친구들 중에 3등임 에어링좀 하고나니 특색이 좀 느껴지는듯함 묵직한 다크한 건포도향 맛이 열리니까 괜찮은것 같은데 이미 다마셔버린..

Very smooth and creamy, with a prominent oak note at the end, accompanied by a pleasant spice. 1/27/17 After some time, the oak note softened slightly, and the spice became a bit more pronounced. 11/6/17

The aroma is excellent, well-balanced with notes of sugar cookie, brown sugar, and hay. The palate is very sweet, with mellow flavors and a hint of smoke. It's not intense or sharp. The finish is brief.