Outside of Brazil, Ballantine’s Bourbon Finish, interestingly, has an age printed on the label – seven years. Here, however, the brand preferred to launch it as a whiskey without a declared age. Which makes sense – the age statement in this case would just confuse the consumer more. The product is essentially different, and would not fit above or below the traditional Finest or 12 years. In fact, this is a natural path – when something is created and becomes desired, the tendency is for it to be reproduced until it becomes conventional. Which is not a bad thing – quite the opposite. It happens in the arts, in cinema, and also in whiskey. As was the case with the vaunted Extra-finish, or finishing. A technique developed almost simultaneously by two Scottish distilleries – Picasso and Braque whiskey – and which was quickly adopted by more than a dozen of them, until it also passed into blended whiskey. The “finalization” is as simple as it is genius. It is the technique of transferring an already matured whiskey to other barrels of a different nature from those of which it is composed, in order to accentuate a certain sensorial note, or add complexity*. Which is exactly what happens with Ballantine’s Bourbon Finish, launched in December 2020 here in Brazil. It is a young blended scotch whiskey, which is finished for an undeclared time in American oak barrels that previously contained bourbon whiskey. In the case of Ballantine’s Bourbon Finish, the whiskey is first “blended” and is then transferred to the finishing barrels, still with the alcohol content when removed from the barrel. Then, it is cut (diluted) and bottled. In the words of Luiz Eduardo Moraes, Head of Brown Spirits at Pernod-Ricard, “Ballantine’s master blender, Sandy Hyslop, carefully chose a selection of whiskeys that are individually matured before being blended for finishing in Bourbon barrels. This is a process that demands time, rigor and experimentation, resulting in a product with an incomparable flavor that will take the Scotch Whiskey proposition to new audiences.” The finishing technique, or “extra-finish” is different from the technique of combining different barrels. In this case, maturation occurs in parallel. So, for example, a portion matured in ex-sherry European oak barrels is combined with another portion, matured in ex-bourbon American oak, to compose the final product. At the end, however, the liquid is the same, and maturation does not occur in parallel, but in sequence. Then, the same liquid that was in a certain barrel is transferred to another – hence, it is called “finishing”. There are 2 curious points in Ballantine’s Bourbon Finish. The first is that the finishing technique is much more common in single malts – and extremely beneficial. Barrels don't all behave the same way. So, finishing allows an already matured malt, whose sharp edges have already been trimmed by barrel time, to gain sensorial complexity without losing balance – as different types of barrels take different times to reach sensorial balance between the new-make spirit and the maturation. In blends, however, the technique is more unusual. Even though it has gained popularity in recent years. The second is that Ballantine’s Bourbon Finish is finished in the same type of barrel that has already been used in the components of its blend. From Bourbon Whiskey. The idea here, in fact, is not to create a different flavor. But rather accentuate a sensorial characteristic that is already there. Increase the intensity, and don’t add anything new. The result is a blend that clearly draws on caramel, vanilla, honey and creme brulee. Ballantine’s Bourbon Finish is a young, light and sweet whiskey. There is a very apparent honey, caramel and vanilla theme – even more so than in Ballantine’s 12 Year Old. But, in this Bottled Dog's opinion, it goes beyond that. He is a perfect example that even sophisticated whiskey production techniques can be used to bring innovation even to more accessible labels. It is a demonstration that the consumer has evolved and the industry has evolved with it. BALLANTINE’S BOURBON FINISH Type: Blended Whiskey without stated age Brand: Ballantine’s Region: N/A ABV: 40% Test results: Aroma: futado, nuts, honey. Flavor: sweet, caramel, honey, vanilla, almonds. Sweet and floral, with a vanilla and caramel finish. Source: Cão Engarrafado.