Golfer Graeme McDowell comes to Dumbarton to blend whisky at Ballantine's

Feb 27 2009 by Laura McLachlan, Lennox Herald (main ed)

REIGNING Scottish Open Champion, Graeme McDowell, made a splash when he arrived in Dumbarton to blend his own whisky.

McDowell, who also won the Ballantine’s Championship in Korea last year, enjoyed two days at the whisky firm’s Kilmalid site in the town last week.

The pint-sized pro spent time with master blender Sandy Hyslop in creating a special blended Scotch.

“It was fantastic to return to the home of golf, close to Loch Lomond, where I won the Scottish Open last year,” he said.

The opportunity to be involved in such a special project and learn so much from an expert such as Sandy was a great privilege. I am certainly looking forward to a dram, should I manage to successfully defend my title in April.”

The unique 35-year-old blend will be presented to the winner of this year’s Ballantine’s Championship – which McDowell will defend on the Korean island of Jeju from April 23 to 26.

McDowell also got the chance to nose a selection of extremely rare whisky samples, some of which were over 40 years old.

The 35-year-old blend will be available in very limited quantities and will be launched ahead of this year’s Ballantine’s Championship in Korea.