The name Ballantine smacks of a romantic encounter at a little café just off the corner of a crowded Parisian boulevard, the comings and goings of bustling people in an all too busy world subtlety slowed down as soon as they pull up an elegantly curved rot-iron chair next to a perfectly paired lace covered table. The smell of coffee and warm biscuits smothered in fresh marmalade and French cream wafting like a mist, rich and decadent in every way. This deliciousness is expertly captured in Ballantine’s 30 year old blended scotch, the copper stained hue a quiet promise as it what is held within. The aroma is rife with the scent of well-worn lanes, earthen fields wet from dew and a mix of ripe orchard fruits lathered in wildflower honey. The palate entertains flavors of sweet, plump raisin frosted in more dollops of wild honey, bites of spice, and a bright pop of blood orange slices and grapefruit rind. Ballantine’s 30 year old blended scotch finishes with just a touch of cinnamon to the tongue, a warm reminder of your wanderings along its copper colored streets.