Last month Balvenie Distillery launched a new whisky range – the Balvenie Stories series. Initially there are three releases with the entry level and the introduction to the range is the 12 Year Old The Sweet Toast of American Oak.

The whisky was aged in the customary ex-bourbon casks and then finished in heavily toasted (at the distillery’s cooperagev of course) virgin oak barrels from Kentucky.

It’s quite interesting and refreshing to see a new permanent 12 Year Old whisky from Balvenie which isn’t the Double Wood (No, those single barrels doesn’t count!).

Balvenie 12 Year Old – The Sweet Toast of American Oak (43%, £43.95/€47,95)

Nose: Soft and creamy, full of coconut, vanilla, and walnuts. Laid back heather honey. After a few minutes it develops some greenish pineapple and eventually more tropical fruit sweetness.

Palate: Heather honey, walnuts, white pepper, oak spice, nuttiness and toasted wood with toffee caramel.

Finish: Medium length, honey sweetness, nuttiness, tingling spice and white pepper, drying.

Thoughts: Nothing special here but it’s solid and definitely delivers on its name. Balvenie took a toastier ex-bourbon casks as a decent counter-expression to the sherry influenced Double Wood – a classic summer session whisky.