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  • the balvenie doublewood 12 year old

    The Balvenie Doublewood 12 Year Old 82
    Distillery
    The Balvenie
    Style
    Single Malt
    Release
    Unspecified
    Age
    12 Years
    Alcohol
    40% abv.
    Region
    Scotland, Highlands
    Bottled For
    Distillery

    The Balvenie Doublewood Single Malt Scotch Whisky is a 12 year old single malt which gains its distinctive character from being matured in two woods. During its period of maturation The Balvenie Doublewood is transferred from a traditional oak whisky cask to a first fill Spanish oak sherry cask. Each stage lends different qualities to the resulting single malt - the traditional casks, having previously held bourbon, soften and add character, whilst the sherry wood brings depth and fullness of flavour.

    review by insinuendo

    81
    Color
    Light amber, caramel color
    Nose
    On the nose some hints of maple and toffee.
    Body
    Beautiful viscosity ’causing it to tear, nice legs.
    Palate
    A nice mouthfeel.
    Finish
    Medium length.

    Was my malt of choice when I began indulging.

    review by linusstick

    85
    Color
    Medium amber
    Nose
    Nice mix of peat and light fruit with a hint of earthiness
    Body
    Thick and a tad oily
    Palate
    Iodine, light fruit, big malt profile with the sherry becoming noticeable early
    Finish
    Goes from sweet to tart then a nice warming finish- a lot going on in this whisky

    A delicious and full flavored whisky

    review by anonymous

    80
    Color
    dark gold
    Nose
    vanilla,toffee, caramel a little wood
    Body
    creamy,med-full
    Palate
    honey, hot spicey, litte vanilla and a taste I cant describe maybe it's the sherry
    Finish
    same as palate, short to mediun length

    very good for the 12 yo range and price. Sister Co. to glenfiddich. Quite of bit better than the 15 yr. Fiddich. will purchase again

    review by coloradodram

    81
    Color
    Golden orange, amber.
    Nose
    Floral (roses), sherry, dry nuts (if you can smell dry...).
    Body
    Thin, astringent.
    Palate
    Flowers, red wine, minty oak.
    Finish
    Very dry, medium length, oaky afterbreath.

    This is a nice value and consistent floral 12 year, but rather simple. I still prefer the 15 year single barrel, which is only $10 U.S. more - spring for it.

    review by anonymous

    83
    Color
    gold
    Nose
    Sweet, fresh apple. Sugary, with citrus fruit.
    Body
    Full, syrupy.
    Palate
    Honey, raisins, sherry-sweetness, vanilla, apple.
    Finish
    Long. Again some apple, vanilla, honey.

    Pleasant, fruity whisky. Certainly doesn't need any water. Great honeyish flavour development. Crowd pleaser because of its sweetness. I like this one for dessert.

    review by whiteghost

    85
    Color
    Carmel
    Nose
    Sweat maple smell
    Body
    Full bodied from start to finish
    Palate
    Starts with a sweet taste one the front with hints of maple and fades with a smokey, slightly peaty finish
    Finish
    Smokey finish fades so slowly it seems like it will last indefinately

    A good, distinctive, fun scotch that pears well with a full bodied cigar.

    review by mishima

    75
    Color
    Glowing clover honey
    Nose
    Honey and vanilla predominate on an even bed of maltiness and side of fruit. If you get curious and patient (give it 15 minutes in your glass) it will open up some flowery perfume, a whiff of sherry, smoke, and peat.
    Body
    To the heavy side of medium.
    Palate
    Integrates well with the nose, that is mostly honey and malt, but without any syrupiness.
    Finish
    Fairly long and rather acidic, here the vaunted sherry makes itself finally a salient addition with a lingering spice - one that will stay in your mouth for upwards of an hour.

    This is a well constructed rather straightforward Speyside whisky. If you are looking for a well sherried whisky, look elsewhere. Yet for a shoulder season malt - late spring or late summer - this is a fine bottle to savour.

    review by anonymous

    90
    Color
    Rich Gold
    Nose
    Toffee Apples,Burnt Sugar,Go Deep for Slight peat and Nuttiness
    Body
    Thick,Creamy and Coating.
    Palate
    Tangy and Slight Peat add water for Hints of Vanilla and Sherry,Very Sweet
    Finish
    Sherry Beings to fade with slight peat then smooth sweetness comes back.Long and Satisfying

    An Extremely Fantastic Malt, Enjoy long summer nights in your garden with this one... A must have!

    review by nattefrost

    85
    Color
    Pale, rosy gold.
    Nose
    Grass, oak, vanilla. A touch of water opens up honeysuckle, caramel, and fruit notes.
    Body
    Creamy, but not too thick. Hot and tingly in the mouth.
    Palate
    Strong notes of vanilla and oak greet the palate at first, with subtler grassy, fruity, floral flavors revealing themselves as the whisky rolls around the mouth.
    Finish
    A long finish with flavors of oak and walnuts. Warming and earthy, with a very faint medicinal note to it.

    Incredible. This is a highly enjoyable dram. In my opinion, it needs a touch of water to open it up, but with just a touch, it truly shines. The Doublewood never overwhelms, but delights the palate with its array of flavors. Highly recommended.

    review by eddie

    88
    Color
    Gold with a slight tint of rose
    Nose
    A field full of flowers and grass, also a boozy fruit smell,nice.
    Body
    Medium and coating
    Palate
    Hint of Sherry sweetness, flowers berries, spices and sort of a fruit bread taste, again nice.
    Finish
    Medium finish, and a lot of the flavor stayed around, made you want more.

    I liked this whisky, It wasn't over done. It had a lot of flavor but wasn't to pushy. Just a very nice clean taste...

    review by mandrake

    82
    Color
    Caramel
    Nose
    Honeysuckle, vanilla, bit of oak. Lightly smoked.
    Body
    Medium bodied.
    Palate
    Sherry and light peat. Hint of smoke. Not all that complex, but pleasant.
    Finish
    Short finish, warm but fleeting.

    Not bad at all. Doesn't overwhelm or strike with awe, but it's very pleasant and a worthwhile single malt.

    review by mp

    90
    Color
    Copper
    Nose
    slightly peaty, honey, and fruits. Let it sit with some water for a few minutes and take in the scent of toffee. Hint of sherry.
    Body
    Moderate body. oily
    Palate
    woody, flowers. hint of almond nuts. hint of liquorice.
    Finish
    Long finish, balanced.

    This one needs water, once added you have a pleasant toffee scent, honey and fruits. A slight liquorice taste. Quite sweet, well balanced. This one is fantastic, and felt better than the 21 year old Portwood. I'm very impressed with this whisky, it's one of the best!

    review by red hare

    85
    Color
    Amber, tinge of pink
    Nose
    Oak, vanilla and caramel. Orange peel, orange marmalade. A hint of raspberry syrup.
    Body
    Medium body, expands in the mouth, turns watery.
    Palate
    Sweet sour. Vanilla, lots of toffee. Lavender. Plenty of sherry notes.
    Finish
    Medium finish. Caramel covered peanuts. Sherry notes laced with burnt sugar.

    Spring garden, fruiting orchard - wrong time of the year to drink this! Definitely an early summer / late spring dram. Very nice indeed.

    review by mdavis

    82
    Color
    Amber
    Nose
    Some sherry and citrus - typical of Balvenie house style. Very slight hint of smoke.
    Body
    Good balance. Moderately full bodied.
    Palate
    Somewhat complex when allowed to stand in the glass for a while. Smoke disappears to sherry, citrus, a bit of peat.
    Finish
    Slight burn.

    This is one of the better values in the Balvenie stable. Not my favorite of the bunch, but a repeat because of the price.

    review by sfaulk

    80
    Color
    Deep amber
    Nose
    Wood, Smoke, Some kind of fruit, Vanilla
    Body
    Dry, Light, Full flavoured
    Palate
    Wood, Smoke
    Finish
    Medium long, A zing in the beginning that gradually goes away.

    Recommend.

    review by fyoder

    75
    Color
    gold
    Nose
    smoke, leather, fruit
    Body
    medium, silky
    Palate
    aqueous, peat, smoke, salt, well balanced
    Finish
    crescendo, then long warm fade

    Nothing really stands out much as exceptional, just nice all around.

    review by saul

    75
    Color
    Honey
    Nose
    Hot, Citrusy
    Body
    Medium, Sweet
    Palate
    Tangy, Peat smoke and Sherry in very small amounts.
    Finish
    A hot finish, mostly in the mouth. Lasts for some time.

    Not all that complex. A bit on the sour side, but well balanced, otherwise. More peat and sherry with water.

    review by colin

    81
    Color
    Burnt umber
    Nose
    Lots of oak, Peat, Slight vanilla, Spice, Candied ginger.
    Body
    Flavourful, Hot, Medium body.
    Palate
    Mellow peat, Pepper, Candied apple, Oak, Spice.
    Finish
    Long and slow. Lots of development. Flavours fade and pepper grows.

    I was at first less impressed by this whisky, but upon second tasting, I'm finding new things. It has a delicious fruit character. The sherry is really ringing through. It's like a candied apple. Slightly too tarte, but that's really nit picking. Delicious.