Balvenie 12 Year Old Double Wood (700ml)

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 bottling over the years. Even at 12 years old, this rich and complex dram is an excellent example of what the Balvenie distillery can craft.

Nose: Gristy, supple nuttiness intertwined with spices. Honeyed sultanas and grapes. Hugely inviting.
Palate: 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.
Finish: Spicy, slightly drying, still sweet.
Overall: 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...)