The Balvenie DoubleWood is often talked of favorably as an entry level Scotch whisky. It is one of the more available sherry finished whiskies, perhaps alongside the ever more popular Glendronach 12 year old. It is matured in bourbon casks before being swapped to Oloroso sherry casks for the last couple. The result is a combination of sweet honey flavors and a hint of sherry richness that is lovely as an after dinner drink.
Its light flavors stay true to its Speyside origins, but it is not as fruity as many other Speysiders. As it has only spent two months in sherry casks, the sherry flavors are quite light.
The nose reveals vanilla, honey, strawberry, cherry and toffee. It is a delightful nose – very rich and creamy.
To taste, warm fruity flavors present themselves initially with a medium to fully body. The fruity flavors are more towards the spicy or citrus fruits – oranges, pear, raisin – rather than the sweet fruit of the nose. Afterwards, the sweeter honey and toffee notes arrive.
Up until this point you might assume that I love this whisky, and up until this point you would be right. The problems start to arise with the finish of the whisky. There is a light fruit and oak flavor that is warm and sweet, but it dissipates very quickly.
The Balvenie DoubleWood is not a powerful or complex enough whisky to justify adding water. It makes the already disappointing finish even more flat and underwhelming.
The Balvenie Doublewood 12 Year Old leaves you with the impression of being almost an excellent whisky. Its nose is wonderful and rich and its palate sweet, spicy and fruity, but its finish is flat. It is almost as if the 2 months spent in sherry casks was only enough to round out the nose – perhaps a little longer and the rest of the whisky would have been a little more interesting. Having said that, to my tastes it is far better than many other 12 year old offerings from the Speyside region. If you can afford to pay a little more for this one, do it.
Balvenie DoubleWood Information
Type: 12 year old single malt
ABV: 43%
Region: Speyside
Price guide: 35 pounds/60 USD
Balvenie DoubleWood 12 Year Old Score: 8/10