Balvenie DoubleWood 17 Year

Chris Williams

I enjoy the younger 12 year more. This is smoother, but also sweeter. For the price point I would stay with the Doublewood 12 year.

First sip was good then just tasted like alcohol. Was not impressed with taste or smell

Rich, fruity, vanilla, sweet

Very enjoyable, smooth rich vanilla taste

The nose has a bit more richness, harshness, and maltiness than the Balvenie 21 Port does, with less fruit and floral notes. The palate is disappointingly not as viscous as expected and it tastes a tad off somehow. It is, however, sweet with some nice fruity notes that bring in the cherry from the Sherry and also a bit of rum molasses and cinnamon (oddly enough). The light body contributes to a feeling that this scotch is a tad restrained. It tastes scotchy, but also has some we'd wood flavor that is a bit like cardboard, but also skirts it a bit. The spices are rich and sweet without being overly harsh, though they are a bit numbing. It does have some holiday baking spice character to it for sure. Some light vanilla and floral notes come out. It's a bit richer than the Balvenie 21, but otherwise isn't quite as good aside from a reduced wet cardboard presence. Still, it's about on the same level as the Balvenie 21 all told. It's tasty enough that it could be sipped, though it wouldn't be my first choice. The caramel tastes like it's trying to become butterscotch, but it doesn't quite make it. This qualifies maybe as barely a sipper, but it's not something I'd go out of my way to get. The little bit of smoke adds some bitterness, which is nice at offsetting the sweeter, milder notes, but is more of a char than a complex smoke. On net, it's a positive though. It's fine, but thoroughly unexciting.

Color: Bright copper Nose: Vanilla, floral, plum Body: Malt forward, almost like a milk stout. Strong vanilla and sherry. Finish: sherry finishes strong and smooth. Stone fruit crops up a little on the swallow.