Balvenie Doublewood 12 Year

Smooth with vanilla and honey and spice at the finish

Liked everything until the finish. Hangs on a little too long. Also a bit sweeter than I prefer

I tasted this neat at 43%abv. in the evening. It is chill-filtered with artificial colour. Intense honey and vanilla right off the bat, followed by a characteristic sherry which brings nuts and grapes to the field. I think sensed a bit of banana too, and a freshly-cut grass smell. After a sip, the grapes pop up a fair bit harder with some classic vanilla and toffee. It almost turns into grape juice flavour. The bourbon cask wood backboard stages it all, leading into a sweet medium-length homestretch. It's a very pleasant experience.

The Balvenie DoubleWood 12 is not my favorite style of scotch, but I can appreciate it for what it is. The nose has a good amount of the grassy flavor that I am generally not a fan of, but there is also a nice sweetness, along with some fruity notes. The grassy aroma dissipates a little on the palate, and opens up to a pleasant spiciness, along with the flavors from the sherry barrel aging. The finish is gentle and smooth, again showcasing the spice flavors. This may not be my favorite style of whisky, but after the initial grassiness on the nose, the flavors that come through are more of what I appreciate in a typical scotch.

Vanilla and brown sugar

Smooth, vanilla, honey, nutty, sherry.