The New Zealand Whisky Collection - Dunedin Doublewood 15 YO - Tasting Notes

Nose

Sweet, and at first a bit olive oily. But then it changes to full rich vanilla notes with raisin bread, anise, marshmallows, and also a bit spice. The spice raises through the sweet brioche, yellow sugar cane and fresh pastries. 

White pepper, cardamon, ginger and nutmeg. Fruit notes of apricots, banana, warm red apple with custard poured over it. Beautiful sweet nose, full and not overpowering on the spices or the sweet. A soft note of sweet wood is intertwined in this sweet combination. 

Palate

The flavors from the nose appear also on the palate and give a smooth transition. The raisin sweet and fruit, give combined with the ginger and nutmeg notes, a gingerbread feel to it.

Creme brulee, brioche, fresh vanilla pods and dark chocolate. Dark spicy sweet dense cake, light citrus note, mango and heavy fruitcake. Some cinnamon, liquerish wood, caramel and dark sugarcane sugar. 

Finish

Bit dry, but middle length finish. Cinnamon dry combined with some pencil shavings, bit metallic almost? But the chocolate is covering that up just enough not to be bothered by it really. 

Score

Gave this one a 7 - 7,5 out of 10 on scoring. It is surely one I love to be able to taste more from, but it felt that it can use a bit more strength maybe to it? To just give it a bit more punch to it so to say. Thats a bit the doubt in the score where to go through really. But very nice, enjoyed this one for sure! Warming, sweet and fruity, very yummy. 

What does the New Zealand Whisky Collection tells us about this lovely blend from New Zealand?  

Made of 70% single malt, and 30% premium grain whisky produced from unmalted barley in the Willowbank Distillery. Aged for 6 years in American Bourbon barrels, before finishing in French Oak NZ wine barrels, giving ruby colour, depth of character and long-lasting, rich flavours.

The awesomeness of the Dunedin DoubleWood comes from the foresight of our predecessors, the Preston Family, to transfer a large number of six year old MasterBlended whisky from American Oak to French Oak ex-red wine barrels.

The new barrels came from the North Island and previously contained New Zealand Pinot and Cab Sauv. The Prestons released their DoubleWood after 2 years in French Oak. Our current release has benefited from at least nine years in the new barrels giving it a truly unique flavour.

It has won many awards like the silver medal at San Fran Spirit Awards 2013, best blended whisky at World Whisky Awards 2013 and a gold metal at Wizards of Whisky 2013. 

Thanks Erik Burgess for sending us a sample of this. Lovely, and surely something if I can find a full bottle off I would look for. It is smooth and full of different good flavors. Curious now to try out the other 2 samples we got from Erik a 21 and 23 year old.... Love exploring world whiskies :-)