Balvenie Doublewood 12 Year

Got a Balvenie sampler pack because I was curious about this one. It’s got a really nice balance between the oaky char of the bourbon barrel and the dark fruitiness of the sherry. My experiences with Speyside scotch has been kind of mixed. I think some of it reads too much like green tea and grassy herbal fruitiness, but this is a really nice exception that has those notes but also gets into some nice warm bourbon elements. Like it. Would buy the full bottle.

Strong notes of honey

Black Forest Gateau

It’s always a pleasant surprise to discover a tasting note from what feels like a lifetime ago. 2015, in my early days of whiskey appreciation, I evidently gave this one a go. While that note left a bit to be desired in terms of details, I landed at the same rating. The nose: brioche/buttery pastry, honey, dried apple, almond, sultanas, and the faintest whiff of pipe tobacco smoke at the very end. The palate is as the nose suggests, a nicely balanced blend of all manner of delicious things all the way to the dry finish…and, just when you think it’s done, a last little note of prune and smoke drifts by.