This limited-edition single malt was released in 2018 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the original Balvenie DoubleWood release, and Malt Master David Stewart used the same formula that he uses for the original DoubleWood. In this case, 25 years in American Oak casks followed by 4-6 months in Oloroso Sherry casks. The nose has notes of gingerbread, molasses, orange marmalade, honeycomb, and a hint of allspice with no traces of oak. The taste has spices galore with clove, allspice, white pepper, and a hint of ginger root along with vanilla, fresh berries, and ripe currants. A drop of water is all that’s needed to open up floral and toffee notes on the nose, along with more fruitiness on the palate. The finish is long and subtle, fading away gently with a touch of oak. I can honestly say that I’ve never had a bad whisky that David Stewart has created, and this is one of his best! (October, 2018)