Balvenie 12yo Doublewood V Balvenie 12yo Signature

A rare head to head tasting for me - taking inspiration from Whiskyfun although unlike Serge who will taste 19 Bowmores at a time I am only doing two Balvenies and 12yo's at that. Anyway here goes!

Balvenie 12yo Doublewood is in Blue Writing and The Signature is in Red Writing

Sig Nose: Dry marzipan, and some dry sherry notes. Quite malty in fact. With time whisky becomes more sherried on the nose.

DW Nose: Still dry and with almonds and the sherry note is more pronounced although there is more of a background creaminess! Plums! And a hint of dark chocolate.

Sig Taste: Initially starts out like it is going to be thick - if only not 40% abv! Again drying and a little woody, touch of marzipan and faint cherries. Reasonably nice just a little thin.

DW Taste: Fuller in the taste - still a little dry and with a touch of hessian sack but strangely in a good way. Also decent amounts of creaminess, reminiscent of ice cream toffee sauce.

Sig Finish: Very short - I thought there was none then a warming hit me in the middle of the throat and subtle oak.

DW Finish: Dry and slightly sherry clawing but fairly short bar the front of the mouth that is puckered dry.

Comment: Both good staple everyday drams but nothing spectacular. If I had to plump for one I would be hard pushed and I would say doublewood edges it on the finish.

Scores: 86 doublewood and 85 signature

I'm Back!

Hi people, yeah I am back, yes I know I have been quiter than drwhisky of late! but least he has a good reason with getting a grown up job with Balvenie. Congratulations to him I wish him luck.
Any way I have a few posts to get caught up on so lets get started!

Balvenie Sherryoak 17yo 43%

Since I saw that this was getting released I wanted to try it and now I can. This is an unusual release from Balvenie having been entirely matured in Sherry casks for 17 year in warehouse 21. They don't tell you why the warehouse 21 bit is important but they put it on the label! Anyway I thought this would be a fairly readily available release but Royal Mile Whiskies have sold out of it so maybe I have got lucky. Although the label does also say first release so maybe there will be more!

Nose: Wow, big smack in the face of sherry cask (well what do you expect) but "good" sherry cask nose - rummy creamy and sweet.

Taste: Big but not to big (medium big I would imagine that is then!) Lots of heavy fruity notes, quite creamy - dairy milk chocolate and raisans.

Finish: Long lingering creamy caramel and toffee with heavy dark fruits.

Comment: I like this a lot - maybe not enough to pay £59.00 for another bottle - extremely well balanced which almost goes against it as it is a little too integrated making it very easy to drink. (what rubbish I speak at times!).

Score: 89/100

Balvenie 14 Year Old Rum Wood

Since I am on the theme of William Grant and there finishes etc I thought that I would give the 14yo RumWood a try. A limited edition of only 14 casks from warehouse 29 - no explanation as to why this is important! This is unchilfiltered which is good and bottled at 47.1% ABV I doubt that this is natural cask strength but would not like to say for certain. Anyway here's what I think. Not sure but I think that this was mainly done for LMDW in France but as always I could be wrong.

Nose: Sweet, vanilla and lots of creaminess and fruits maybe strawberries. With time more orangey notes.

Taste: Initially a strange taste, a little drying. piney notes. Lots of vanilla a bit bourbonesqe in flavour.

Finish: Lingering woody notes, a touch of creaminess but bitter notes also.

Comment: Wanted to like this but have to say that it didn't really deliver - the whisky has become quite bourbon like but with a bitter woodiness which is slightly overpowering - love the initial nose those.

Score: 76/100 - Nothing startling - try someone elses and keep your bottle closed. Especially as its about £50 a bottle.