Balvenie is a quintessential Speyside Scotch whisky, with a long and storied pedigree ranking it among Scotland’s most renowned single malts.
Their flagship dram is the Balvenie DoubleWood 12-year-old single malt. This renowned whisky gains its distinctive character from being matured in two wood types.
To make The Balvenie DoubleWood, Malt Master David Stewart takes whisky distilled in pot stills from 100% malted barley that has spent at least 12 years in traditional American oak ex-bourbon barrels and hogsheads, then finishes it in Spanish oak sherry casks for an additional 9 months.
The whisky is then transferred to large oak vessels for another 3-4 months to allow the whiskies to marry.
Each stage lends different qualities to the resulting single malt whisky. The American oak softens and adds a delicate character, while the sherry wood increases complexity by bringing a fruity, honeyed depth and rounding out its fullness of flavor.
Balvenie’s palate is sweet with a respectable body. There is gentle spice with a little vanilla. A hint of balancing peat, as well as a delicately proportioned application of sherry, lurk quietly in its lower layers. Dried fruit, combined with nuts, nutmeg, cinnamon, is also well integrated, leading to a spicy, slightly drying, but still sweet finish.
In the States, Balvenie is a popular, but often underrated, Scotch whisky. Discover for yourself what you’ve been missing.
You can get Balvenie Scotch whiskey, as well as many other fine single malts, at large, family-owned liquor stores, like Wyatt’s, that cater to the discriminating whiskey drinker, as well as those just beginning their fine malt journey.