Balvenie DoubleWood is, to not much surprise, aged in two kinds of oak casks! It was firstly matured in refill American oak casks before it was treated to a finish in first fill European oak Oloroso sherry butts for an additional nine months. The expression was launched in 1993, and has become a somewhat iconic whisky over the years. Even at 12 years old, this rich and complex dram is an excellent example of what the Balvenie distillery can craft.
Gristy, supple nuttiness intertwined with spices. Honeyed sultanas and grapes. Hugely inviting.
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.
Spicy, slightly drying, still sweet.
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...)
I really enjoyed this dram...light on the nose with a huge whiff of grapes, a solid warm and spicy palate, and a nice medium-long finish that's plenty dry. The oak and the sherry are most evident on the nose...while I prefer some of The Balvenie's other offerings, this is a fine daily scotch at a fantastic price.
Vanilla, honey, white pepper, spice with a gentle sherry, a little nuttiness and light citrus notes. This is a smooth, subtle whisky with a nice mix that wont tire your palate. One to add to the collection and a great one for a first or second dram on a flight.
For the price, this is a winner every time. Awesome scotch.
Despite my heavy Islay leanings, I have to say that this is one of my favorite scotches. Smooth, but fairly complex and well-rounded. The more mellow taste imparts an almost buttery quality to the slight oiliness. From my experience, a great starter scotch too, given how many people I've converted with it.
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