"Which one is the good one?," she shouted across the store.
Uh... How do I begin to answer that? She did seem genuinely interested, thought. Alright, I'll bite. Maybe I can use this opportunity to put to use what I've learned while doing this blog, explaining the complexity and nuance of single malt whiskys, their regional variations in flavor profile, their...
"This one's pretty." She walks up next to me holding the cardboard tube of Balvenie 12 (bal-VEH-nee). "Is this a good one?"
In fairness, this is how we select bottles of wine - a comfortable price and an attractive label. In this case though, she had picked a good one indeed. I had tasted it only once before, at C Street Cafe in the Carytown district of Richmond, but I remember it being smooth and rich, a balanced and elegant Speyside malt. It seemed excessive for a hostess gift, which was never her intention anyway. This was just her not-so-stealthy reconnaissance mission on behalf of her sister for my Christmas present. There it was under the tree two weeks later (thanks, B!).
This is the bottle sitting in my liquor cabinet as we speak, still about two-thirds full, so I still have quite a few more tasting experiences left with it. I'm going to go ahead and review it though, mostly because we just talked at length about scotch whisky's relationship with sherry, which is a significant player in the Balvenie 12's character.
The Dufftown distillery is owned by William Grant & Sons, and if that sounds familiar it's because I've just described Glenfiddich as well. If the two brands are sisters, you may notice the relation when tasting them, the difference being their target markets. A golfing friend put it this way to me: Glenfiddich is for the clubhouse, Balvenie is for the country club. A bit snobby maybe, golf references usually are to me, but then we get to trading Caddyshack quips and all feels right with the world again.
The distillers like to refer to their flagship expression as 'the 12 year old Balvenie DoubleWood', which is quite a mouthful. I'd rather taste a mouth full instead, so I'll just call it Balvenie 12 from here on out. The 'DoubleWood' is of course in reference to its double casking, bourbon then sherry, and in this case they have pulled off a malt that showcases the influences of both.
The sherry influence seems largely responsible for its big 'nose', awash with nutty notes and sweet fruit intensity, a soothing touch of honey and vanilla underneath. My sister-in-law (the one who had gifted this to me) drew in several deep whiffs and was intrigued enough by its allure to ask to try a wee nip. I have to tread lightly when talking about my sister-in-law's nips, but my point is that this is a very approachable upscale whisky for the uninitiated.
The bourbon cask's influence was more evident on the palate. Solid full-bodied malt, oaky and sweet, floral with a touch of cinnamon spice. The honey and vanilla add a decadent creamy richness. It's all so mellow and smooth, yet deep and in its flavors. There's a nice, lightly smoky finish, which should have some peat to it, but it's more of a charcoal flavor to me.
If you're familiar with the show Archer on the FX network, a very adult cartoon spy comedy, you might understand why I had to try a pairing experiment when a bowl of gummy bears made an appearance. First I went with yellow, which basically liquefied when I knocked back a sip of the whisky. The cloying lemony flavor instantly amped up, an unpleasant combination with the Balvenie. The red however, the cherry flavor actually did pair shockingly well. I think I'll stick to pairing scotch with meat and cheese, but I couldn't resist the experiment given the opportunity.
Overall, the Balvenie 12 is not one of the most complex single malts out there, but it just might be one of the most balanced. So far, between this, Cragganmore 12, and Aberlour 12, I am hard pressed to pick a favorite among Speyside malts at this age statement. I am very pleased with my Christmas present.
Overall Grade: 90/100, A-
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