Dewar’s 38 Double Double is a fantastic blended malt

Welcome to Taste test, where every week our review Jonas Flicker explores the best and most interesting whiskeys in the world. Come back every Sunday for its last whiskey review.

If you are a Scotch whiskey Fan, you know that many people think that blends are inferior to single malts. This may be true in some (or many) cases, but blended scotch vastly outsells single malts due to its generally more affordable and accessible price. A new blend that surpasses many single malts of similar age in terms of quality, although it’s not exactly affordable at $2,200 a bottle, is the new Dewar’s Double Double 38 Year Old Blended Malt Scotch Scotch Whiskey.

This release is part of an ongoing series of Dewara brand founded in 1846 by holder John Dewar. White Label is the main brand expression and although it may not be as popular as Johnny Walker Black, it is a whiskey that can be found in most bars and in many liquor cabinets. There are also a few more youthful age-declaration expressions from Dewar, with the 18-year-old particularly standing out. But in recent years, the brand has started releasing expensive, ultra-aged blends as part of its Double Double line. This name refers to a dual maturation process that takes place in four stages: the whiskey is aged in barrels, blended, returned to barrels to age again, then finished in a different type of barrel. In the case of the new 38-year-old, these are Pedro Ximenez sherry casks that were previously used to age Royal Brackla, a single malt owned by parent company Bacardi.

This new whiskey is a blended malt and not a blended scotch, which means that there is no grain whiskey in the blend. It’s also a continuation of the last release, a 37-year-old blend that was matured in Oloroso sherry casks. The base whiskey was aged for an additional year, then finished in used PX casks, a smoother style of sherry, and the result is a decadent and fantastic whisky. There are notes of raisin, fig, plum, cherry and dark chocolate on the palate, mixed with flavors like molasses, preserved lemon and even a bit of grape jelly. Some of the tropical fruit notes that often appear in a Scotch whiskey aged this long are present, but they are dominated by these other flavors, which is a good thing.

Perhaps the concept that single malts are better than blends is one that serious whiskey drinkers don’t really respect anymore. There’s a good reason for this: newer companies like Compass box have focused on making high-quality blends by sourcing various whiskeys and carefully assembling components in quantities greater than parts. Plus, affordable, everyday blends like Dewar’s White Label, Johnnie Walker Black, or Famous Grouse are kind of like whiskey comfort food. These blends are pretty solid options and are often the entry point for people who are just beginning their journey into the world of Scotch whiskey. If you’re looking to spend a little more money on a contemplative and seductive drink, try the new Dewar’s 38, you won’t be disappointed.

Rating: 94