Balvenie – 12 Year Old Double Wood 25th Anniversary (70cl, 40%)

This is a special edition of Balvenie Double Wood 12 Year Old, released to mark 25 years of the Double Wood, which has been made since 1993. It is bottled at 40% in a 70cl bottle, with a bottle and packaging that differ from the standard release. The whisky spends twelve years in ex-bourbon casks, then a further nine months in Spanish ex-Oloroso sherry casks. The sherry runs through the whole dram, with nutty sweetness and cinnamon spice on the palate. The nose is sweet sherry, orange peel and a delicate freshness. The palate brings nuts, honey, vanilla, orange, heather and light spice, and the finish is long, pleasant and gently sweet.