Balvenie 12 years old Doublewood Single Speyside Malt Whisky 40%

There is a handful of bottles the whole whisky world uses as a yardstick, and DoubleWood is one of them. It was not the first whisky to see two cask types, but it was the one that made the rest of Scotland understand why that was a good idea.

The expert's description

Balvenie 12 DoubleWood is a Single Speyside Malt Whisky matured in American oak casks, finished in Oloroso sherry casks and bottled at 40 %.

DoubleWood is David Stewart's work. He was Malt Master at Balvenie for more than five decades and was already experimenting in the 1980s with moving fully matured whisky into a second cask type for the final months. Today the method is called cask finishing and almost everyone uses it, but DoubleWood from 1993 was the release that put it on the map.

The first nine to twelve years are spent in traditional American oak casks, which give vanilla, honey and a light, creamy texture. The whisky then moves into European Oloroso sherry casks for roughly nine months, and that is where the raisin, orange peel and spice arrive. The parcels are finally married in a large tun before bottling.

Tasting notes

Nose

Honey and dried fruit first, then vanilla, cinnamon and a note of orange peel. A light nutty warmth sits underneath it all.

Palate

Round and soft with raisin, spiced oak and vanilla sweetness. The sherry influence is clear but never heavy, and the malt holds the balance the whole way.

Finish

Medium and warm with spiced sweetness and a last breath of sherry and oak.

Specifications

Name: Balvenie 12 år DoubleWood
Distillery: Balvenie
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Single Speyside Malt Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 40 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: American oak casks, finished in Oloroso sherry casks
EAN no.: 5010327505138

Flavour profile

Sherry matured · Honeyed · Fruity · Soft · Spiced

Did you know?

Balvenie is one of very few Scottish distilleries with its own barley field, its own floor maltings, its own cooper and its own coppersmith on site. Roughly a tenth of the malt is still turned on the distillery own floors.

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Frequently asked questions about Balvenie 12 DoubleWood

What does DoubleWood mean?

It means the whisky has sat in two different cask types. First American oak for close to twelve years, then European Oloroso sherry casks for around nine months. The name describes the process, not a specific flavour.

Is DoubleWood a good first single malt?

Yes, one of the best introductions to Speyside. Forty per cent, no smoke, clear sweetness and a sherry influence that is easy to recognise without being overwhelming. Many people use it as a reference bottle when explaining what a sherry cask does to whisky.

Should you add water?

Not necessarily. At 40 % it is already open, and water can thin it out quickly. If you want to experiment, try a single drop in a whisky glass and taste before adding more.

How does it differ from Balvenie 14 Caribbean Cask?

Caribbean Cask is finished in rum casks and turns tropical, with banana and vanilla up front. DoubleWood takes the European route with Oloroso and lands on raisin, orange and spice. Same distillery, two entirely different finishes.

What food does it suit?

Mature cheeses and dark chocolate. The sherry notes meet nuts and dried fruit well, so a plate of walnuts, figs and a piece of aged gouda does the job. Avoid anything too salty.

Who was David Stewart?

He joined William Grant & Sons in 1962 and became Malt Master at Balvenie in 1974. He created DoubleWood and is the man behind the finishing technique the rest of the industry later copied. Kelsey McKechnie carries the same work forward today.