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The Balvenie released the Balvenie Doublewood 12 Aged 12 Years in 2018, on the DoubleWood’s 25th anniversary — the celebration of whisky ‘finishing.’ Malt Master David Stewart created this beauty age for 12 years in American Oak ex-bourbon barrels and hogsheads, and then for nine months in Spanish ex-Oloroso sherry casks.
Honey, bruised apple, cinnamon, nutmeg and hints of clove. You can perceive what the different types of oak bring to the table, the Bourbon casks adding vanilla and caramel to an already honeyed malt while the Sherry casks add depth and spice.
What a smooth palate, graceful and layered with a honey richness and smoky roasted nuts adorned with lots of vanilla and the most thrilling brown spices.
A very long finish for the 12-year-old category. Incredibly stratified between candied fruit and spices, with vanilla dominating the aftertaste.
This malt is undeniably The Balvenie’s flagship expression and an unequivocal statement backing up their ‘finished’ whisky philosophy. What a masterful malt with everything you want to find in the glass without any element dominating either the nose or palate. Subtle, compared to other ‘finished’ expressions like the ones that make use of rum or port casks, this is the very definition of balance.
To see how far the distillery’s masterful aging technique can go, try The Balvenie Caribbean Cask 14 Aged 14 Years. Another successful expression showing Balvenie’s lusciousness amped-up by Caribbean rum casks.
