Ballantine's Finest is a young, low-priced blended Scotch that has a reasonable quality and is certainly drinkable on its own. One of the lead malts in this blend is Auchentoshan, giving Ballantine's a light, sweet and floral character. The nose is quite grainy with nuts, honey and maple syrup. Although it tastes fairly rough and immature, there is a pleasant burned sugar sweetness with a good amount of sherry cask influence. The finish is quick, vague and definitely lacking intrinsic quality. Not a spectacular but honest blend which works well as a mixer. RATING: 2.2/5.0 stars ≙ 65 pts → INFERIOR [+]