Whisky Ballantines Finest. The story of the Ballantines begins in 1827, when George Ballantine began offering selected whiskies from his store in Edinburgh, Scotland. He went on to create his own production, a whisky that was perfected over time, with the result that, in 1895, Queen Victoria awarded him the highest quality distinction. With a soft golden color and flavor characterized by notes of vanilla and apple, it offers an extremely tasty experience.