Dewar's Double Double 21 Year Mizunara Cask Scotch Review & Tasting Notes

 

The story of John Dewar & Sons began in 1846 with John Dewar, Sr., in Perth, Scotland. John founded a wine shop that employed him and ten of his children. It took 14 years for him to begin blending whisky, and in 1880, two of his sons, John and Tommy, assumed control of the business. Both were young but well-experienced in John Sr.’s company and wanted to see it grow exponentially. At only 16, Tommy took on the marketing manager job, spreading the good news about Dewar’s whiskies, and eventually traveled the world on a two-year journey!

 

In 1891, Andrew Carnegie arranged to send a barrel of Dewar’s to President Benjamin Harrison at the White House. This greatly displeased American distillers, who felt the president turned his back on their industry. Then, in 1893, Queen Victoria issued a royal warrant to the Dewars – the first for a blended Scotch - and business skyrocketed.

 

It didn’t take long for the small distillery to exceed its production capacity, and in 1898, John established the Aberfeldy Distillery. Shortly after that, production of its White Label blended whisky commenced. Tommy was eventually knighted by King Edward VII.

 

World War I broke out, and the distillery was shuttered. It reopened briefly, only to be closed again due to the declining demand caused by Prohibition in the United States. In 1925, John Dewar & Sons merged with Distillers Company Ltd to survive these events. Tommy passed away in 1930. The brand changed hands several times, and then, in 1980, something amazing happened – Dewar’s outsold J&B, then the best-selling Scotch brand in the United States.

 

Today, I’m delving into Dewar’s Double Double Aged 21 Years, finished in Mizunara oak. Mizunara is a native Japanese wood that is challenging wood to work with:

 

“The oak does not grow straight; it has a high moisture content, and it’s much more porous than other varieties, he says. These issues make the casks prone to leaking. Its name, after all, translates to ‘water oak.’” - Hirotsugu Hayasaka, former head cooper at Nikka

 

Mizunara cask development was due to European and American oak shortages during World War II. The Japanese looked to their forests to create the required containers. The Japanese coopers returned to European and American oak once the supply chain issues were remedied. However, the memory of how well the whisky aged in Mizunara wood remained.

 

In more modern times, the Mizunara trees are a protected species. First, the tree must be about 200 years old to be suitable for carving staves. Secondly, the yield of usable wood is meager compared to its European and American counterparts. Thirdly, you can’t harvest a live Mizunara tree; it must be naturally felled.¹

 

Dewar’s is known for twice-aging its whiskies. The first round is before anything is blended; the second after. Double Double expanded on that, utilizing Dewar’s four-stage aging system developed by Master Blender Stephanie Macleod. It involves aging each of the malt whiskies separately. Next, those malts are aged in neutral casks – meaning they’re a step away from retirement. The third stage is marrying the malts and aging them again. The final is taking the blend and finishing it in the Mizunara casks.

 

A 750ml is packaged at 46% ABV (92°) and has a suggested price of $149.99. Before we get to the #DrinkCurious part, I must thank Dewar’s for providing me with a sample in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review.

 

Appearance: I poured this Scotch into my Glencairn glass to sip neat. The yellow-gold liquid created a bold rim and thin, fast legs.

 

Nose: A big blast of vanilla cream and grilled pineapples teased my olfactory sense. I also smelled sweet oak, honeydew, and lemon peel. Drawing the air into my mouth resulted in a kiss of more pineapples.

 

Palate: I found its texture silky as it effortlessly filled every crevice of my mouth. The front of my palate encountered oak, nutmeg, and lemon zest. I tasted pineapples, coconut milk, and honey at mid-palate, followed by chocolate, clove, and lime.

 

Finish: The long finish included a plethora of lime, pineapple, coconut, chocolate, and clove.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: If you absolutely positively refuse to engage in blended malts, you might as well stop reading because Dewar’s Double Double 21 Year is, you guessed it, a blend. That being said, you’re not doing yourself any favors. I relished the entire experience, from the nosing to its finish.

 

Stephanie MacLeod knows what she’s doing; she’s an artist’s artist. I’ve been impressed with the other higher-end Dewar’s whiskies I’ve sipped. Double Double 21 Years is delightful; this Scotch whisky is worth every penny of its $150.00 price. Grab yourself a Bottle. You won’t regret it. Cheers!

 

My Simple, Easy-to-Understand Rating System

• Bottle = Buy It
• Bar = Try It
• Bust = Leave It

 

Whiskeyfellow encourages you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit but begs you to do so responsibly.

 

 

¹Brad Japhe, Bloomberg Businessweek, April 27, 2022