Welcome to Taste Test, where every week our critic Jonah Flicker dives into the world of exciting and noteworthy whiskeys. Be sure to check back every Sunday for his latest reviews!
If you’re a Scotch whisky lover, you might be familiar with the common belief that blends are often inferior to single malts. While that’s true in some cases, blended Scotch still outsells single malts by a large margin, thanks to being more affordable and accessible. But a new release from Dewar’s is changing that perception—Dewar’s Double Double 38-Year-Old Blended Malt Scotch Whisky proves that blended whiskies can rival the best single malts, even if it does come with a hefty price tag of $2,200 per bottle.
This whisky is part of Dewar’s ongoing Double Double series, which is a nod to the brand’s unique double maturation process. Founded in 1846 by John Dewar, the brand’s core expression is White Label, a popular and easy-drinking whisky found in many bars and homes. Recently, Dewar’s has released more expensive, ultra-aged blends, including this new 38-year-old. The Double Double name refers to a four-step aging process: first, the whisky is aged in barrels, then blended, put back into barrels for further aging, and finally finished in a different cask type. For this 38-year-old, the final finishing is done in Pedro Ximenez (PX) sherry casks that were previously used to age Royal Brackla, a single malt owned by Bacardi.
Unlike most blends, this is a blended malt whisky, meaning it contains no grain whisky—just malt whisky from various distilleries. This release continues the success of Dewar’s previous 37-year-old Double Double, which was finished in Oloroso sherry casks. The extra year of aging in PX sherry casks adds rich, sweet flavors to the whisky. On the palate, you’ll find deep notes of raisin, fig, plum, cherry, and dark chocolate, mingled with hints of molasses, preserved lemon, and grape jelly. While you might expect some tropical fruit flavors from a whisky of this age, the more intense sweetness from the PX sherry cask takes center stage, making this a decadent and complex whisky that’s well worth savoring.
While it’s a bit of a splurge, this new 38-year-old from Dewar’s is a standout in the world of blended Scotch, offering a luxurious tasting experience that rivals some of the finest single malts out there.
