Review #116 - Balvenie 12 Year DoubleWood
12 Year Speysider Series: Part 2 of 7
Part two of the series is Balvenie - this is their 12 year 'DoubleWood,' pointing out that we're employing finishing casks, as opposed to full maturation in a single cask type. In this case, we start with aging in 'whisky' oak - we're guessing this is likely refill ex-bourbon oak, at least predominantly. Then we spend time in sherry oak - in this case, casks made from European oak, which should impart some spice in addition to the fruit.
Like our Macallan in the last review, this is bottled at 43% ABV, a bit below what we really want. Because of that strength (or lack thereof), this is probably chill filtered, an assumption which could be supported by this being a mass market, large scale brand that's built to appeal to a wide range of consumers. There's no statement on natural coloring, either, so we're going to assume it has some caramel added, as well.
Balvenie 12 Year DoubleWood
Scotland/Speyside - Single Malt
Current Locally Available Price: USD 58 (2023)
Age Statement: 12 Years
Strength: 43% ABV
Cask Makeup: 'Whisky' oak and sherry casks
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 22 months; bottles at 70%, 50%, and 20% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Starts with a decent sherry influence - oranges, cinnamon spice, just a hint of sulfur, other savory baking spices as well. There's some savory red fruit, too, but despite all of these flavors, this isn't the richest nose - it certainly isn't jumping out of the glass. As it develops, we find ex-bourbon notes of vanilla and icing sugar, a hint of coconut, some caramel... bits of burnt sugar, like creme brulee topping. There's some smooth mild oak, and one time, just a hint of mellow cigar smoke.
Palate: There's some sherry once again to start the palate - spices, red wine, caramel, cinnamon, and a slightly savory note. The mouthfeel is medium-thin, not too oily; some sweeter wood sugars and vanilla come into play, along with more coconut, and some mellow oak. There's a nice savory spice of paprika or rosemary, and at the end, a hint of coffee ice cream.
Finish: Medium-short, pleasant warmth, and some slightly more bitter, dry wood now. The baking spices of vanilla and molasses stick around, along with a hint of red fruit, which turns toward exotic fruit. At the end, there's a hint of sweet taffy.
Final Note: Another somewhat simple but pleasant sherried dram - not going to offend anyone with its mainstream flavors, but does offer a tasty sip when you're in that sherried whisky mood. It does seem to be a cask-dominated affair - not a lot of spirity notes left in it, which might make it 'smooth,' but it lacks a bit of depth. Value is decent - a lot cheaper than the Macallan we compared it with, so the value rating is well above average.
Our Average Rating: 6.5 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 6.76
Check out some of our other Balvenie reviews:
