| Whiskey | Balvenie 12 Year – American Oak |
| Distillery | Balvenie Distillery |
| Region | Dufftown, Banffshire, Scotland |
| Type | Scotch |
| Mash Bill | 100% Single Malt |
| Proof / ABV | 86 Proof / 43% ABV |
| Aging | 12 Years |
| Filtration | Chill Filtered |
| MSRP | $80 |
| Release Year | 2019 |
Balvenie 12 Year – American Oak Tasting Notes
Nose: Sweet honey, light fruits, raisin, citrus, green apple, notes of toasted oak, hints of caramel, cinnamon spice, apple pie, vanilla, slight nuttiness and clove
Palate: Smooth honey and caramel sweetness, rich fruits, apple cinnamon, citrus, raisin, toasted oak, vanilla, baking spice, pastry sugar, light pepper spice
Finish: Smooth and easy finish that lingers with a nice full flavor of caramel, fruit, and cinnamon spice
Is Balvenie 12 Year – American Oak an Approachable Whisky?
Balvenie American Oak is extremely easy to drink.
It has rich flavors while offering an easy to drink pour of whisky that everyone will enjoy.
I can see most people loving the fruit flavors and it is topped of with a delicious candy sweetness from the American Oak Barrels.
Is Balvenie 12 Year – American Oak Complex?
Balvenie 12 Year American Oak isn’t extremely complex, but it does have some nice layers of flavor and complexity.
If you’re familiar with the standard Balvenie 12 Year Doublewood, this bottle is a bit different.
It may not be as rich of flavors, but is rather nuanced and more subtle in what you get on each sip.
The nose is full of everything you would get with the Balvenie 12 Doublewood, but there is less of an oak prominence which lets the fruits and cinnamon notes shine through a bit more.
What are Balvenie 12 Year – American Oak’s strongest attributes/flavors?
Balvenie 12 Year American Oak’s strongest attribute is how easy it is to drink.
This pour is extremely smooth and has little to no heat on it.
In addition to being easy to drink, it has so many flavors that remind me of a delicious cinnamon apple pie with raisins.
Is Balvenie 12 Year – American Oak a go-to whisky?
Balvenie 12 Year American Oak is absolutely a go-to whisky.
Balvenie is already my top distillery for my go-to bottles and this bottle is no exception.
It has a nice price point of $80 and offers delicious flavors, a smooth experience, and is a bottle I could just pour all night.
Is Balvenie 12 Year – American Oak priced accurately to its quality?
Balvenie 12 Year American Oak is an excellent deal at the $80 price point.
It’s hard for me to decide whether I like this American Oak release more than the Balvenie Doublewood, but since they are about the same price point you can’t go wrong.
If I had to pick between the two, I would probably choose this American Oak release because it tastes a bit more refined than the Doublewood and the fruit notes really stand out quite nicely on top of the oak spice from the American Oak barrels.
Conclusion for Balvenie 12 Year – American Oak
Balvenie 12 Year – American Oak is an absolutely delicious Scotch whisky.
It is a fun release that is on the lower-end of the price spectrum which allows you to get a top-quality whisky for an affordable price.
If you’re a fan of Balvenie Scotch at all, this is a bottle you should definitely purchase.
If you’re looking for Balvenie bottles that are a bit more expensive, but also top-tier offerings from Balvenie, check out my other reviews of the Balvenie 12 Year Single Barrel, Balvenie 14 Year Caribbean Cask, Balvenie 15 Year Single Barrel, Balvenie 21 Year, and Balvenie 21 Year Single Barrel.
The Balvenie 21 Year Single Barrel is the most expensive, but is also my #1 favorite whiskey bottle in my entire collection!
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