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...)
Customer Rating
“The Balvenie Doublewood is one of my favourite whiskies. The sherry influence is discreet and combines really well with the Balvenie style. This is a rich whisky with a beguiling nose that would be my top recommendation for anyone wishing to get into single malts. But this is not merely an 'introductory' or 'value for money' malt, I think it's great regardless of the cost. The best 12 year-old whisky around in my opinion.”
Master of Malt Customer
This is a really nice smooth drink.Even my wife, a non whisky drinker likes this. Is that good news?
Really easy drinking whiskey. Very subtle smell yet Sweet with a sherry finish. I would recommend
Not very characteristic of Speyside however well balanced and smooth.
Good dram, not exceptional. Bought into the hype. Have watched many YouTube reviews and pulled the trigger. Paid $75. Not a great value at that price. Would make a good gift to a novice or a bourbon drinker getting into scotch. If you are a scotch nerd or experienced, skip it, and put your money towards a better bottle that is more complex and flavorful.
An elegant smooth and slightly sweet drink but with enough craft and complexity to open your eyes. Great to pour among friends.
