The Balvenie distillery is located in Dufftown and was founded by William J. Grant in 1892; the same man who also founded Glenfiddich distillery, which is only a stone’s throw away. Today the distillery is still owned by William Grant & Sons Ltd. While all whiskies made by Balvenie were used for vatting until 1973, they have several single malt bottlings on the market nowadays. One of them is the 12 years old DoubleWood. It was given this name because of the two types of casks it was matured in. The distillery does not tell how long the whisky stays in which kind of cask, but it might be something between 10 and 11.5 years in a traditional whisky cask before it gets its finish in a sherry cask. Though the time the whisky spent in the sherry cask seems to be quiet short, the sherry has a very clear and distinct influence on the taste as well as the aroma. A very enjoyable, smooth, sweet and fruity dram.

by Aaron

Eye: Beautiful dark amber.
Nose: Sweet and fruity, strongly influenced by the sherry cask. You can find red fruits like dark grapes and even a bit of cherry. This fruity cocktail is accompanied by sweet honey notes. Maybe there are also some spices in the background. I am not sure, but it might be ginger.
Palate: Not as fruity as it was in the nose. Now honey and vanilla are in the foreground. You can also taste the sherry notes very distinctly. In addition, there are also spicy notes like cinnamon and ginger. Maybe you can also find some kind of nutty smack in the background.
Finish: A smooth, medium long spicy finish.

Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Region: Scotland (Speyside)
Age: 12 Years
Alc. volume: 40%
Bottle size: 0.7 litres
Price range: ~40.00 Euro
More info: http://www.thebalvenie.com/ (Website)