December 16th? My goodness, fewer than ten days left until the main event! This is when excitement or panic sets in, in earnest, depending on how much shopping you have left to do! Try not to worry just yet though, we’ve got you covered.
So, to The Whisky Advent Calendar by Drinks by the Dram, faithfully counting down those days to Christmas in delicious style. Today’s dram is another Balvenie! We tasted the delights of Sherry cask matured Balvenie on Day 8, now it’s time to see what American oak brings to the table alongside Sherry with surely one of the most satisfying and accessible speyside whiskies available today.
Balvenie DoubleWood starts its life in refill American oak casks before being moved into first fill European oak Sherry casks for the final months. Introduced in 1993, it’s been hugely influential in its use of a cask finish – still very unusual back then – not least because under the watchful eye and experienced nose of Malt Master David Stewart a superb whisky had been created.
Sweet 16.
Tasting Note for Balvenie 12 Year Old DoubleWood:
Nose: Gristy, supple nuttiness intertwined with spices. Honeyed sultanas and grapes. Hugely inviting.
Palate: Sweet with good body. The bourbon characters develop; gentle spice with a little vanilla, a hint of balancing peat lurking quietly in the substrata. Dried fruit too, combining with nuts, nutmeg, cinnamon, back into the bourbon notes – so well integrated.
Finish: Spicy, slightly drying, still sweet.
Overall: A classic, always a pleasure to revisit. (This is also a single malt with the ability to convert a non-whisky drinker with its deliciousness…)
Balvenie 12 Year Old DoubleWood – 70cl, 40%
The Chaps at Master of Malt
Tan Nguyen