By Emma Briones
Rating: A
Dewar’s takes pride in their double aging process. They are so used to age their blended whiskey, that going one step forward was a natural progression. But instead of going for a triple aging process, they’ve decided that a fourth aging stage would be key for their new range of blends: Dewar’s Double Double.
To do so, they first age their single grains and single malts in oak barrels, as normal. Then, they blend each style, aging a blend of their sourced grain and a blend of their sourced malt in a new set of oak barrels, albeit still separately at this stage. The third step of the process includes aging the married grain and malt whiskies in another set of oak barrels. The cherry on top for the Dewar’s Double Double 21 is the Oloroso Sherry cask finish.
Dewar’s Double Double 21 year old is bottled at 46% abv in 50cl bottles. The bottles show a completely different style from Dewar’s. The bottle is shaped like a diamond and showcases a more simple label.
The Scotch
On the glass, the whisky is mahogany. On the nose is sweet, highlighting honey and vanilla aromas but also an intense sherry touch. There are fruity notes of peaches and baked apples, with a citrus note of orange peel.
It is spicy, with intense black pepper notes and a touch of roasted meat. There are also some notes of toasted oak and nuts.
On the palate, it bursts with intense fruit notes and a strong character. There are peaches, pears, and ripe grapes, but also a citrus touch. It is spicy, highlighting cinnamon and white pepper notes.
A touch of coffee and chocolate give more presence to the palate, adjusting discretely the oak notes. Towards the end, the Oloroso notes come to the foreground. The finish is long and pointy, with a sherry touch.
To produce a blend you need an incredible capacity to balance all the ingredients perfectly. Dewar’s Double Double 21 is a fantastic sample of how to make a quality blend. It has enough character (probably because it is bottled at 46% abv) to give a full flavor. But it is also quite balanced, or “smooth” as Dewar’s says, to nimbly pass through the palate.
The Price
Initially a Travel Retail release, Dewar’s Double Double is now available in selected markets. For 60€, it would be rude not to buy a bottle (though, if someone at Dewar’s is reading me, I’d rather have a 70cl one).