Ballantines Hard Fired

The Hard Fired expression from Ballantine’s was an Amazon exclusive and contains malt that matured on double charred casks, hence the name. That’s about all the info I could find, except for the fact that it was released in 2015. In a nutshell: this is their Finest Blend on double charred casks, end of story. But I do not believe this was a hit, for it is nowhere to be found nowadays.

Surprisingly floral nose, actually. Violets and lavender, vanilla and red apples, cuberdons and autumn leaves. Some mandarins – no, clementines! – but hardly any other fruit. I’m not impressed, merely somewhat amused.

The body is okay-ish, but on the palate it is a let-down. The floral note returns in full force and turns this into a soapy dram. Somewhat dropped too much bath foam in the tub, opened the faucet and now the whole room is covered in foam. Nope, this is not good. The little fruit that this blend offers up is completely drowned in soapy notes.

If you get soap in your mouth, isn’t the finish always too long?

Avoid or mix. Thanks nonetheless, Pat. Should you bottle not yet be empty, I still have a barbecue to clean. There, this tasting session is over.

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