Hankey Bannister 40 Years Old blended Scotch whisky, has been voted the world’s best Scotch blended whisky at the World Whisky Awards.
With 200 whiskies having been tasted by the judges over three tasting rounds, Hankey Bannister was awarded this prestigious accolade by a panel of high-profile judges from around the globe. This award adds a further trophy to Airdrie-based Inver House Distillers’ collection, with the distiller having also recently announced a 107% increase in pre-tax profits.
Hankey Bannister 40 Years Old is an intricate and sophisticated blended Scotch whisky, specially selected to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Hankey Bannister partnership. This precious blend contains some of the world’s rarest and most extraordinary whiskies, such as Garnheath, Killyloch and Glen Flagler, whose distilleries are no more. Incredibly, these whiskies had already been matured for several years by the time they were blended and then left to marry for over 35 years more. This unique and exceptional blend, which was left to mature in Spanish oak casks, had lain quietly maturing deep in warehouses until Inver House Distillers’ Master Blender, Stuart Harvey, rediscovered them forty years later.
Such is the rarity of this blend that only 1,917 crystal decanters of Hankey Bannister 40 Years Old exist, beautifully packaged in a dark brown keep-sake box with Glencairn crystal glasses. The spirit’s preciousness was recognised and appreciated by the judging panel, which comprised the best whisky journalists and retailers from around the world, as well as industry representatives made up of master blenders, distillers and brand ambassadors.
Michelle Lansdowne, brand manager for Hankey Bannister at Inver House Distillers, commented: “The World Whisky Awards is one of the most high-profile and highly-regarded in the industry, so to have been presented with the title of ‘World’s best Scotch blended whisky’ really is a fantastic achievement, particularly when you consider that we were judged by a panel of senior industry representatives from around the world. Inver House Distillers has had a remarkable twelve months in terms of the awards we have won and this award shows what can be achieved with a real passion and enthusiasm for whisky. Hankey Bannister is unusual in that there are not many 40 year old blends available, and certainly not many of this quality.”
Hankey Bannister is currently exported to around 47 countries worldwide, with a range including an un-aged blend, blended malt, 12-Year-Old blend and 21-Year-Old blend. The spirit is favoured by whisky enthusiasts throughout the world for its distinctive rich full flavour, a result of its high malt content. Expert blending of the finest individual malt and grain whiskies available have created a unique flavour for Hankey Bannister – its 40-year-old blend, which has a natural cask strength of 43.3%, is said to have warm fragrant aromas of raisin, chocolate and citrus, which combine with spicy notes leading to an exceptionally long-lasting, smooth and full-bodied finish.
Formed in 1757 by Messrs Hankey and Bannister, the whisky has been a favourite of many a prestigious name including King George V, Sir Winston Churchill and Evelyn Waugh.
