Dewar's 21yo Double Double Mizunara Oak

A reasonable priced purchase on my last trip through Manchester Airport was this 21yo blend from Dewar's

Finished in Mizunara Oak - let's see what it's like!

Dewar's Double Double series share a 4-Stage Aging Process:

Separate Aging: Malt and grain whiskies are aged separately in oak casks for a minimum of 21 years.

Initial Blending and Aging: The malt and grain whiskies are blended together and aged again in oak casks.

Second Blending and Aging: The whiskies are blended again and aged in neutral oak casks for about six months to improve harmony.

Mizunara Cask Finish: The whisky is finished for up to a year in Japanese Mizunara oak casks. 

Distillery thoughts:

Crafted with an innovative four-stage ageing process for ultimate smoothness, Dewar’s 21 Year Old is a luxury small batch Blended Scotch Whisky finished in rare Japanese Mizunara oak casks, bestowing exotic notes of vanilla, vibrant sandalwood spice and lingering coconut in the silky smooth finish.

An exquisitely smooth whisky of vanilla and honey entwined with sandalwood and coconut. Ripe mango and stone fruits emerge with soft spice and toasted cereals, flowing into a long, silky Mizunara finish.

46% ABV, Non Chill Filtered, Natural Colour.

My thoughts:

Appearance: light gold in the Glencairn, swirls leave thin lines which bead up and fall as slow thin legs. 

 

Nose: vanilla, buttered popcorn and rum & raisin ice cream - there's a strong grain presence here, but who doesn't like an aged grain? There's grape skin, fresh cut wood, some tropical fruit, coconut and a distant smoke note.

Palate: sweet arrival fruity, dry and a little spicy. The tropical fruit from the nose comes to the fore alongside the coconut: fresh pineapple, kiwi, banana and a little sour grapefruit. The grain notes are also strong: vanilla and buttered popcorn. The malt is suggesting apples, pears and a hint of ginger. There's a little honey, toffee and gentle smoke.

 

Finish: Lingering tropical fruit, honey, dry oak and ginger spice.

Summary: "Ultimate Smoothness" is what it says on the bottle, I'm not sure what that means when it comes to whisky, this one certainly has a kick to it - plenty of 'rough' spices at play. Loads of tropical fruit notes, aged grain vanilla and popcorn and a lovely oaky spice.