ASIA PACIFIC. Pernod Ricard Global Travel Retail (PRGTR) has released the Asia Pacific travel retail-exclusive Ballantine’s 23-Year-Old Golden Hour series.
Rooted in Ballantine’s ethos of ‘Time Well Spent’, the expression was designed to “capture the essence of the golden hour of our travels”, the brand owner said.
Each release in the series will complement the original Ballantine’s 23 Year Old, offering a twist on the Scotch whisky’s signature style through different oak cask finishes.
Since April, the launch is being showcased with a dynamic campaign in Asia Pacific travel retail with animations in South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Australia.
In Korea, where Ballantine’s leads the prestige blends category, PRGTR launched large-scale activations that included a 40sq m pop-up and impactful OOH media campaign in Incheon International Airport.
To celebrate the launch, Ballantine’s invited local Korean media and KOLs to an elegant boat cruise along the Han River to enjoy a pairing dinner and cocktails during golden hour.
The inaugural release was crafted by Master Blender Sandy Hyslop who finished Ballantine’s 23 Year Old Blend in former Cognac casks, a first in the Ballantine’s portfolio.
For this blend, Hyslop hand-selected the oak casks and trialled innovative ways to bring a new depth of flavour to the 23 Year Old. The 40% ABV whisky offers juicy peach aromas on the nose and sweet toffee and honey blossom flavours on the palate with a long-lasting finish. It has an RRP of US$279.
PRGTR Vice President of Marketing Liya Zhang commented: “This is the first Cognac cask finish to join the Ballantine’s range and I am delighted to share it exclusively with travellers across Asia Pacific. With our new series we invite them to celebrate the golden moments of their travels, marked with discovery and new experiences.
Hyslop added: “Introducing an unexpected twist to our widely loved Ballantine’s 23-Year-Old is a big responsibility and this exclusive release caters for aficionados searching for a new drinking experience with a sweeter profile. Pushing our cask diversification into ex-Cognac barrels is an exciting innovation in Ballantine’s history and the result is a luxurious and vibrant Scotch.”
The golden hour inspirations are reflected on the collectable bottle design which features contrasting elements of gold and navy blue to portray the meeting of day and night, as well as Scotch whisky and Cognac casks. ✈
