Ballantine's 15 is a new variant in the range. It is the perfect
embodiment of the definitively elegant Ballantine's signature style. In
1865, grocer George Ballantine delegated the running of his Edinburgh
store to his eldest son, Archibald, while he opened a larger
establishment in Glasgow, where began to create his own blends as well
as cater to the Royal Family. In less than a decade, the company added a
bonded warehouse empire and became an exporter of Scotch whisky. The
business continued to thrive under his younger son George junior. The
Ballantine's family finally capitalised on their success in 1919,
accepting a buy-out offer from the firm of Barclay and McKinlay.
Retaining the reputation and goodwill of the former company name, the
new owners began the development of Ballantine's as a brand name for the
blends they had inherited. But increasingly substantial resources were
needed to compete fully in the growing world market. These were provided
in 1937 by Hiram Walker Gooderham & Worts, a Canadian distilling
concern with an international business when they acquired the share
capital of George Ballantine and Son. One of the new owner's first
actions was to purchase a distillery at Miltonduff, near Elgin in the
heart of Speyside, and licence it to Ballantine's.
