The DoubleWood 12, launched in 1993, uses an aging process developed in 1982 by our own cellar master, David Stewart, now commonly referred to as "wood aging".
To create The Balvenie DoubleWood, David Stewart MBE uses whisky that has spent at least 12 years in traditional casks (ex-American oak Bourbon barrels and kegs), and transfers it into ex-Spanish oak Oloroso sherry casks for an additional nine months.
The whisky is then transferred into large oak barrels called "tuns" for 3 or 4 months, allowing time for the whiskies from individual casks to "marry" their flavors.
The Balvenie DoubleWood single malt whisky develops its distinctive character by aging in two different types of wood. Each wood imparts different qualities to the resulting single malt whisky.
Traditional casks soften the whisky and give it a delicate character, sherry wood develops the depth and roundness of the flavors, and the last months of maturation in a barrel (or "tun") allow the whiskies to blend their aromas harmoniously.