The Balvenie 12 Year Old Doublewood

Delicate, Juicy, Oak, Vanilla
2022-10-16

The Balvenie DoubleWood 12 year old is the youngest bottling from Balvenie's Core Range with an age statement. This malt matures in ex-bourbon casks and receives a subsequent post-maturation in ex-Oloroso sherry casks.
The Balvenie distillery is located on the Speyside in Dufftown. It dedicates itself to the traditional production of Single Malts and is one of the few distilleries that still dries their (on-site grown) barley on its own malting floors.

The Balvenie 12 Year Old Doublewood (@whiskyedition)

Smell

The 12 year old Whisky opens with the sweetness of fresh blossom honey. The malt smells extremely juicy with malty vanilla notes. Behind the delicate sweetness, the bouquet is coated by a pleasant spicy sherry note.

Taste

Fittingly, it presents buttery soft and mild on the tongue. We perceive nutty notes and a hint of cinnamon. Likewise, an association of freshly caramelized crème brûlée imposes itself. Here, too, the sweet fresh aromas of sherry and the spiciness of European oak wrap the flavour.

Finish

The finish of the single malt is medium in length. As before, a wonderful marriage of fresh sweet flavors with spicy oak tones.

Thoughts

We are looking at a delicious extension of the classic Speysider profile. The spicy sherry influences combine to create a great single malt. A nice drink for both simple enjoyment and deliberate exploration of the multi-layered flavours.

Rating: 83/100 - Excellent (Marcel: 84 | Sascha: 81)

Value for Money: 3/5 - Acceptable

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Preview Image Source: The Whisky Exchange