Balvenie 17 Year Old DoubleWood

from a purchased sample

Nose: A little bit richer than the 12 with all the same basic cereal, malt, honey, and ginger notes. Pepper and more resin than wax. Vanilla frosting. Powdered sugar. Green apple juice and something sour. A touch more fruit -- only a little. Raisin/golden grape. Not the most distinct. I'm getting more notes, but they're way in the margins (of the nose). Slight step up from the 12.

Palate: Thick on entry. Honey, toffee, ginger, and malty. Then there's a lot of bitter wood. The wood isn't huge in a general sense, but it's dominant. Again, not bad, but it leaves me wondering, "... and what?"

Finish: About the same as the 12 - malty, sweet, stale ginger. Uninspired. It's a hair better than the 12, but with the probably price difference, I doubt that this is worth it and you can do better anyway.

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