My Top 10 - THE BALVENIE DOUBLEWOOD 12 YEARS OLD

By FoxNews
The Balvenie is one of the great distilleries of Speyside, Scotland. Founded in 1892, it is one of the pioneers of introducing various wood finishes to its malts. Their aptly named DoubleWood is a twelve-year-old Single Malt that spends most of its life in second-fill Bourbon casks prior to being transferred to first-fill Oloroso Sherry casks. There are three levels of flavor in this Single Malt. The original Balvenie imparts heather, honey and clean barley flavors. The Bourbon barrel adds vanilla, a sort of cookie-like taste, as well as marshmallow, caramel and toast. The Oloroso Sherry barrel’s influence is expressed via peach, marzipan, clover, a bit of honey and prunes. Complex and approachable, this Single Malt has a younger brother that's actually older The Balvenie 17 Year Old DoubleWood was first released in September of 2012.

By The Balvenie
The Balvenie DoubleWood is a 12 year old single malt which gains its distinctive character from being matured in two wood types. Over the period of maturation it is transferred from a traditional oak whisky cask to a first fill European oak sherry cask. Each stage lends different qualities to the resulting single malt ~ the traditional casks soften and add character, whilst the sherry wood brings depth and fullness of flavour.
TASTING NOTES:
NOSE
Sweet fruit and Oloroso sherry notes, layered with honey and vanilla.
TASTE
Smooth and mellow with beautifully combined flavours ~ nutty sweetness, cinnamon spiciness and a delicately proportioned layer of sherry.
FINISH
Long and Warming

By Steve H. (Seattle, WA, USA)
Balvenie is an old distillery that still does everything the only fashioned way. Their copper stills are shaped differently than other distilleries and they turn all of their malt by hand (a rarity). The Doublewood is made the traditional way of being aged in bourbon casks. They age for 12 years and then they move them into casks that were used for sherry. They age them there to the taste of the master distiller (averaging about 9 months), then bottle this nectar up. This is the same method as Glenmorangie Lasanta, but with less smoke and peat and sweeter.
Doublewood is a fruitier, lighter scotch with very little smoke in the flavor. There is a strong hint of honey, followed by some caramel and spices (like cinnamon). The best way to describe this to my friends, and they all agree, is that it tastes like Macallan 12, but with cinnamon added. I love Macallan, but I love this more! I also love that it comes in a slightly shorter bottle so it stores a little easier than the wine-size of Macallan.

My Top 10 - THE MACALLAN 10 YEARS OLD CASK STRENGTH JEREZ

By Matt Goldstein
When the Whiskey Goldmine releases our Top 10 Single Malt Scotch list in the next few weeks, the Macallan Cask Strength is destined for the top 5. This single malt is a flat out masterpiece. The Macallan Cask Strength is aged for a minimum of 10 years in Spanish Oak casks, handcrafted and seasoned by Sherry in Jerez. The Macallan cask strength is bottled straight from the barrel without chill filtration or adding any water, as opposed to what is normally done in almost all scotches, not to mention all whiskeys. The genius of this whisky is just that, it’s just the single malt Scotch whisky in its natural state making the statement in your glass. One could search their entire lives looking for a 10 years aged single malt with this much complexity and undoubtedly come up short.
The color is a deep red, almost a mahogany. The flavor and mouth feel are a complex and sweet syrup, with beautiful notes of wood. With hints of vanilla, fruits, spices and oak, the flavor, mouth feel, and finish is just on another level than other premium single malts. Almost like a pancake meeting maple syrup for the first time, no other premium single malt is this rich and complex.
Perhaps the craziest attribute of the Macallan Cask Strength is just that, its strength. There is no water added and the whisky is bottled straight from the barrel, 58.5% ABV, 117 proof. Yet, with the strong character of the cask strength is still an exceptionally smooth and beautiful whisky. Compared to other premium single malts, the Balvenie 15 year Single Barrel is 47,8%, the Talisker 10 year is 45.8%, Highland Park 12 year is 43%, and the Oban 14 year is 43%. That would mean that the Macallan Cask Strength has almost a 35% higher ABV than Highland Park and Oban.
This Macallan Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch comes with our highest recommendation. This is perhaps the most exception single malt we’ve ever tasted and in its price range and maturation, one will find it extremely difficult to match.


By TheScotchlife.com 
I’ve been craving, of late, the distinctive character of Macallan Scotch Whisky, and so went to the liquor store to satisfy that urge. I had fully intended on picking up the 12 year product when the Cask Strength bottle caught my eye! I immediately remembered that I’ve heard it is being discontinued in the U.S. and I needed to pick some up soon. I really don’t know why, but I don’t ever remember purchasing this product. I’ve seen it several times but with all of the different whisky out these days I’ve usually come away with something else.
Now I love The Macallan, and I am very fond of the 12 year product that can be found almost anywhere. I think that perhaps this product may be in the same circumstance as Glenmorangie Astar, the alcohol content is high and the price is not low. However, these offerings are special and you should enjoy both before the disappear. It cost me about $95.00 USD.
So the Cask Strength Macallan comes in at 60.1% ABV, or a 118 proof. That’s very high considering the usual Macallan 12 year offering is only 40%ABV or 80 proof. This product is “uncut” and “unchill-filtered” so you are enjoying it as Nature has made it. The Distiller’s notes are as follows:
Color: Red Mahogany
Nose: Dried fruit, with chocolate, orange, vanilla and wood spice.
Palate: Rich and smooth, with fruit cake, vanilla and a hint of wood smoke.
Finish: Full and lingering, with dried fruit and spice.

In other words, classic Macallan mostly. The color along gets me going. I just love the color that the Sherry Oak casks from Jerez, Spain deliver! It is such a rich looking whisky.
The notes on the bottle advise enjoying this dram with a splash of water. As usual, I will try it without and then I will take their advice and see which one I like better.
WOW! It takes a remarkably well done whisky to accomplish the mouth-feel of this offering. And considering its alcohol content, I can keep this whisky in my mouth for as long as I want and enjoy it! That shows me the class of this whisky. It’s extremely well-rounded and beautifully complex. This product is so good, I don’t feel like adding water. I did, it does reveal some nice flavors, some that burst and some that linger. Very nice! I prefer it uncut though.
I believe, age wise, this is a ten-year product. It does not state it on the bottle but the web-site shows it as a ten years product. I’m guessing that they removed the age statement for Americans because most Americans believe you can only drink a scotch that has aged at least 12 years. It’s an unfortunate misunderstanding to say the least.
As I said earlier, this product, from my understanding, is being discontinued in the U.S.A. If you appreciate really good whisky, you will want one of these!
Cheers!

My Top 10 - LAPHROAIG 10 YEARS OLD

By Laphroaig
Laphroaig 10 Year Old is an all-malt Scotch Whisky from the remote island of Islay in the Western Isles of Scotland. Laphroaig, pronounced "La-froyg", is a Gaelic word meaning "the beautiful hollow by the broad bay".
In making Laphroaig, malted barley is dried over a peat fire. The smoke from this peat, found only on Islay, gives Laphroaig its particularly rich flavor.
Laphroaig is best savoured neat, or with a little cool water. Roll it around on your tongue. Release the pungent, earthy aroma of blue peat smoke, the sweet nuttiness of the barley, the delicate heathery perfume of Islay's streams. It is as unique as the island itself.

Tasting Notes:
- COLOR : Full sparkling gold
- NOSE: Huge smoke, seaweedy, "medicinal", with a hint of sweetness
- BODY: Full bodied
- PALATE: Suprising sweetness with hints of salt and layers of peatiness
- FINISH: Lingering

Awards:
2011 SF World Spirits Competition - Double Gold medal
2010 International Wine & Spirit Competition – Silver Medal
2010 SF World Spirits Competition - Double Gold medal
2009 SF World Spirits Competition - Gold medal
2008 IWSC - Silver Medal and 'Best in Class'
2008 SF World Spirits Competition - Gold medal
2007 International Wine and spirits Competition - Gold (Best in Class)
2007 ISC (International Spirits Challenge) - Gold medal
2007 International Review of Spirits (BTI) - Silver medal
2007 San Francisco World Spirits Competition - Gold medal
2006 International Wine and spirits Competition, Gold, Best in Class
2006 San Francisco World Spirits Competition - Double-Gold award
2005 Malt Maniacs Awards - Silver Medal "A peat monster that takes no prisoners"
2005 IWSC - Silver Medal and 'Best in Class'
2004 International Spirits Challenge - Silver Medal
2003 International Spirits Challenge - Silver Medal
2003 International Spirits Challenge- Gold Medal
2001 International Spirits Challenge - Gold Medal
2000 International Spirits Challenge - Gold Medal
2000 International Wine & Spirit Competition - Gold Medal
1999 International Wine & Spirit Competition - Gold Medal
1998 International Wine & Spirit Competition - Best Single Malt Scotch Whisky under 12 Years Old
1998 International Wine & Spirit Competition - Gold Medal

By Mike Tarrani "Jazz Drummer" (Deltona, FL USA)
I have to agree with Christopher Gerg's March 1, 2013 review in that this is one single-malt whiskey that you will either love or hate. I happen to love the single malts from Islay and this one epitomizes those: dense peat with salt and ineffable other flavors and nuances.
At first sip your first reaction will be that there is nothing subtle about this whiskey. As you savor it, though, you find yourself trying to sort out a myraid of subtleties - and that is why I am so hooked on Islay whiskeys in general and this one in particular.
To truly get the most from this single malt I recommend a specialty glass like the lencairn 6 oz. Whiskey Glass that accentuates the 'nose'. I am by no means a connoisseur, but can pick out and enjoy many of the constituent aromas, fragrances and flavors. Having a proper glass helps.
Obviously if you are new to single-malt whiskeys you may want to try one of the smoother Highland ones first. Once you acquire a taste and start exploring the other regions give this one a try when you get down to the south west coast region. If you are already a single malt aficionado, and especially if you love the Islay whiskeys, you should try this one if you haven't already.