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 usually opt for the peatier drams: Ardbeg, Lagavulin, Laphroaig. But for my nightly "sip" I sometimes need a break from that genre, a little variety - and the Balvenie 12 is a perfect option. Complex and rich enough to satisfy that stronger palate, yet has a smoothness and some gentler notes that offer the regular scotch drinker a very satisfying choice. Highly recommended.
Awesome baby
This was a gift from my son.He received a recommendation from a friend who drinks scotch.I first noticed the sweet smell of sherry and the rich taste on my first sip.I also though it went down smooth,it's the best 12yr old that I tasted so far.I'm surprised anyone would rate it a 2.I would rate your 12yr DoubleWood 4 stars Plus
DoubleWood was one of the first malts I had and I'll always remember it was the very first one that made me say "wow" and opened my eyes to how good whisky is. I tried it again recently and now having about 80-90 different malts under my belt I thought there was no way it was going to live up to my high expectations based on the memory of my first experience but it absolutely did. There are very few whiskies of the same age or price range that I rate higher than DoubleWood, it's a stunner!
Lovely nose of character but it stops there. Once on the lips there is a harsh burn and a bland taste. The finish is very short. It needs maturing in better quality oak and why do they only give it 2 months in the sherry cask? There are plenty of much better 12 year old Speysides around - Not recommended
