Hankey Bannister original 43%Acl, 75Cl, country: Ecosse

Hankey Bannister is produced by Inver House Distillers, owners of Balblair, Old Pulteney, Speyburn, Balmenach and anCnoc. The blend, unsurprisingly, contains malt from all these distilleries, though other details are sparse. The range includes heavies with age statements of 12, 21, 25 and 40 years, but I only have a miniature of the original blend without an age statement. Also, although the name sounds like a silly British pun, it's actually a conjugation of the names of the brand's founders, Beaumont Hankey and Hugh Bannister.

Hankey Bannister was created in 1757 to satisfy a high-end London clientele by producing a quality blended whisky. It was in Scotland that the Bannister family sought out the quality ingredients needed for blending to meet their quality objectives. Thanks to a rigorous, artisanal selection of grain whiskies and Speyside single malts, the resulting whisky is smooth, perfectly balanced and highly distinctive, ready to seduce a demanding clientele. At the time, this unique taste became famous throughout the UK. Today, the cellar master recreates the same flavors

A blended whisky from Inverhouse (owners of An Cnoc, Balblair and Old Pulteney distilleries), Hankey Bannister Original is marked by notes of dried herbs, ripe fruit (apple), spices and fresh walnut.

Style: Fresh and fruity.

Nose: Freshly cut grass, pear, menthol.

Palate: Orchard fruit, caramelized sugar, malted barley.

Finish: Fruity notes, menthol.