The world’s No. 2 Scotch whisky unveils a first of its kind limited edition Global Travel Retail exclusive collaboration with experimental Korean Artist Noh Sangho, for its iconic 21 Year Old Blend.
Ballantine’s Scotch whisky has revealed the latest collection in its Artist Series, developed in collaboration with celebrated Korean artist Noh Sangho. The latest edition includes a Global Travel Retail (GTR) exclusive iteration of Ballantine’s iconic 21 Year Old blend, housed in a vibrant and decorative label and presentation box which has been designed by Noh Sangho.
This Artist Series is rooted in Ballantine’s ethos of “Time Well Spent”, a concept which highlights the importance of making time to create moments that truly matter. For this edition, Noh Sangho has drawn inspiration from his own personal memories, as well as the people and beauty that he encounters every day, creating a beautiful design which tells an enchanting story on every bottle. As well as his own experiences, Noh Sangho is known to gather many artistic ideas from the digital world – finding inspiration in the ordinary and transforming every day images into his bold style.
As part of his partnership with Ballantine’s, the artist also has created two magnificent bespoke paintings entitled “The Great Chapbook – Time Well Spent”, which perfectly marries up with Ballantine’s ethos of creating moments that matter. The pieces portray colourful and dynamic scenes of groups of people enjoying different activities in a vast outdoor scene, filled with natural elements and varying colours to indicate the changing light of the day.
An iteration of one of the paintings adorns the GTR exclusive Ballantine’s 21 Year Old blend, and the other painting features on the 17 Year Old blend which is also a part of the third edition release and available widely in the Korean market.
Liya Zhang, Vice President of Marketing at Pernod Ricard Global Travel Retail commented: “We’re proud to have partnered with Ballantine’s for the launch of the latest collection in the Artist series. The label and packaging which have been designed by Noh Sangho for the 21 Year Old blend perfectly align with the brand’s rich heritage and commitment to expert quality, and is a fantastic example of two fine arts, whisky and painting, blending together to create something unique and beautiful. We’re excited to launch the new limited edition 21 Year Old blend exclusively for travellers and whisky enthusiasts in GTR, as it’s the perfect bottle for both collectors and gifting occasions.”
Commenting on his work for this partnership, Noh Sangho says “When Ballantine’s introduced me to its “Time Well Spent” ethos, it was a concept that deeply resonated with me and reminded me of many happy memories enjoying time with my loved ones. I painted people doing things that they love and expressed the deepening of time whilst enjoying each other’s company, using different colours and accents. This correlates with my creative process; drawing objects, moments and people that I have encountered every day for the past 10 years.”
Having only had five Master Blenders throughout its 195-year history, this sentiment is also key to Ballantine’s Master Blender Sandy Hyslop, as he calls upon his own treasured memories – each unique flavour reminiscent of a time gone by – to expertly craft the exceptionally complex 21 Year Old and 17 Year Old whiskies.
Expertly blended by Sandy Hyslop, Ballantine’s’ 21 Year Old expression is a remarkable blend, perfectly balanced with notes of rich liquorice and aromatic spice, an indulgent mix of honey, with sweet hints of apple and floral aromas.
The Ballantine’s 21 Year Old Artist Edition in collaboration with Noh Sangho is available exclusively in Global Travel Retail across the APAC region from May 2023; RRSP $144. The 17 Year Old Artist Edition blend is available from June 2023 in Korea. For more information, please visit https://www.ballantines.com/en-gb/.
