Reviewed by: Nick and Ted
Double the wood, double the fun! Just getting into whisky? Think you might like to give one of those new-fangled single malts a try? Can’t afford the Glenfiddich 50yo? Roll up and try the multi-barrelled, malty-talented whisky wizard, the one, the only: the Balvenie 12 Year Old DoubleWood! It’ll cure all your woes*!
* Side effects may include becoming compulsive about seeking out single malts, and mild discomfort in the presence of blends.
Balvenie is a member of the the William Grant & Sons stable, and is the less famous sister to Glenfiddich. Balvenie prides itself on continuing to use traditional hand malting methods, and is well respected for its high quality range of whiskies. Chief amongst these is the 12yo DoubleWood, a dram that has converted many a whisky novice.
There is a good reason for the DoubleWood moniker: while it spends the majority of its life in American oak, for the last few months of maturation the spirit is transferred to sherry butts. This technique imparts the range of flavour that makes this whisky special and means that there is something in it for everyone.
This variety of flavour is immediately evident on the nose with sweeter notes of caramel, fruit leather and vanilla pairing with a citrusy tang reminiscent of lemon drops, and aromatic spices such as nutmeg and cinnamon.
The flavour is very broad and rounded across the palate. There is an initial hit of oranges, followed by spicy ginger and buttery shortbread. The sherry influence is definitely present in the finish. Dried fruits such as figs, prunes and dates can be found, and a tasty flourish of old English toffee is left on the tongue at the end.
The Balvenie 12 Year Old DoubleWood is exceptionally smooth for its age, and is also excellent value for this level of quality. For experienced whisky drinkers there is so much to like here and it warrants repeated tastings (for research purposes, naturally). For those just beginning their journey, the DoubleWood provides an ideal gateway to the broader whisky world. So line up ladies and gents, there’s enough for everybody. You won’t be disappointed!
★★★★
Whisky Waffle 
After I started waffling on to my brother about single malts he gave the Balvenie 12 Year Old DoubleWood for my birthday. You chose a good one!
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Your brother is a man of rare taste. We like him.
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The Balvenie is an absolutely delicious whisky. Have you tried anything from the Ben Riach distillery? The 12 year old is a seriously good speyside and has made me want to try even more from this very well crafted bunch.
http://www.thinkingmensdrink.wordpress.com
Twitter: TMdrink_blog
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We actually tried our first BenRiach just the other night – I bought my friend a miniature while in Scotland earlier this year and we finally decided to sample it. We were very impressed with what we tasted. I’d consider buying a bottle but it’s a harder one to track down in Australia, sadly.
Keep on waffling,
Nick
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This is a must-have on the whisky shelf. I love it with a Cohiba Robusto cigar. Simply divine.
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We couldn’t agree more – and yet we still we had to borrow a bottle from a mate to do the review! To be fair, we bought it for him in the first place – and Ted owns the 17 YO DoubleWood and I have the Caribbean Cask so we do alright for Balvenie at the moment!
Keep on waffling!
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I agree, very lovely whisky! My bottle is almost finished.. grr! How is it compared to the 17YO DoubleWood? I think I tasted that one, once and it was much sweeter of taste, correct?
Kind regards,
Tieme
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The 17 YO is amazing. One of the better drops I have tasted. And yet, it’s more of a special occasion whisky – whereas I’d drink the 12 YO any day of the week and not regret a thing!
Keep on waffling,
Nick
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The price of the 17YO DoubleWood is special too 😉 The 12 year old indeed is a good whisky for the regular days 🙂
Kind regards,
Tieme
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