1/Honey, navel oranges and red apples: aka The Balvenie 12 American Oak, $99 at Dan Murphy's this week. For a Glenfiddich 14 Bourbon Reserve drinker, that's about 97% of what the Glenfiddich gives, for 72% of the price. I keep coming back to that.
2/The Balvenie 12 American Oak: $99, twelve years old, 43%. The nose is sweet, a citrus zing over dripping honey and gentle vanilla. The palate stays sweet and malty with that American oak behind it. The finish lingers, oak spice and a whisper of smoke on burnt honey.
3/What a Glenfiddich 14 drinker gives up is mostly two years of age. The Glenfiddich 14 Bourbon Reserve, $138, all oak and heather and vanilla, is still the one for its fans. The Balvenie, $99, is the one I'd pour on every other night. Both earn their place.
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