Double wood, double delish?
4. Balvenie (DoubleWood, 12yo, 40%)
Thinking about it now, it might have been better to choose the basic signature expressions from each distillery as my starting point on this whisky-from-every-distillery adventure, but it turns out I don't have many of those in my cupboard - so next up is a short trip across Speyside to Dufftown for a run at the Balvenie DoubleWood.
This is the 12 year old version which you can pick up for about £30, rather than the more-than-twice-the-price 17yo version. Balvenie Distillery is a wee bit special because it's still family owned and because it still grows its own barley and has its own traditional malting floor, the only one left in the Highlands. It also has its own team of coopers and even a coppersmith. Another point worth noting is David Stewart's 50 years as Malt Master. This one's for you David.
Tasting notes, after a fashion:
This whisky was matured, as the name suggests, in two different types of wood (both chosen by David, naturally). The bulk of the maturation period is in traditional oak ex-bourbon casks before the whisky spends its final few months in sherry oak casks.
So, what's it like?
On the nose it's waves of toasted nuts, rich, rich honey sweetness wrapped up in a blanket of vanilla. A splash of water releases an unexpected rush of spearmint and then a flood of bourbon notes.
On the palate its quite chunky with lots more of those bourbon flavours, though drenched in sherry. Sweet spice and wood. The sherry adds just a bit too much for my taste and while it's a lovely, enjoyable dram, it lacks a few layers of complexity. The finish is similarly one-paced. But I'm being critical.
3/5
This is the 12 year old version which you can pick up for about £30, rather than the more-than-twice-the-price 17yo version. Balvenie Distillery is a wee bit special because it's still family owned and because it still grows its own barley and has its own traditional malting floor, the only one left in the Highlands. It also has its own team of coopers and even a coppersmith. Another point worth noting is David Stewart's 50 years as Malt Master. This one's for you David.
Tasting notes, after a fashion:
This whisky was matured, as the name suggests, in two different types of wood (both chosen by David, naturally). The bulk of the maturation period is in traditional oak ex-bourbon casks before the whisky spends its final few months in sherry oak casks.
So, what's it like?
On the nose it's waves of toasted nuts, rich, rich honey sweetness wrapped up in a blanket of vanilla. A splash of water releases an unexpected rush of spearmint and then a flood of bourbon notes.
On the palate its quite chunky with lots more of those bourbon flavours, though drenched in sherry. Sweet spice and wood. The sherry adds just a bit too much for my taste and while it's a lovely, enjoyable dram, it lacks a few layers of complexity. The finish is similarly one-paced. But I'm being critical.
3/5
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