Double-V (meets Klubb23)

Some of you might know this Belgium Independent Bottler already, but there aren’t a lot of bottlings out there yet and it’s quite a young Indie, so let’s get acquainted with Double-V. And we’ll top off with a new Klubb23 release 🥃…

A few years ago the owner of Double-V bought a whole stock of whiskybarrels because he wanted to do something more with his passion whisky. And in 2020 it was time to bottle the first releases: Tomatin 2011, Miltonduff 2008 and a Ledaig 2009. We were fortunate enough to got some samples over by Double-V to explore. Let’s explore!!

Tomatin 2011 / 9yo / 58.5% ABV / ex-Rum Barrel

Nose: a bit sharp at the beginning, but after that the tropical fruit notes come out and some flowers, delicious.
Palate: Oi creamy, white pepper, dried banana, mango and some strawberries.
Finish: medium with a pepper note.

Score : 84 / 100

Nose: A full fruitbasket with apples, melon, papaya overripe banana’s and some vegetational notes.
Palate: Again banana’s, vanilla, toffee pudding, sweet cherry (syrup) and crisp green apples.
Finish: Galia melon and dry white pepper.

Score : 82 / 100

Miltonduff 2008 / 11yo / 62.7% ABV / PX Hogshead

Nose: a delicious typical PX nose! Dried raisins and some tropical fruits like lychee and melon.
Palate: Apple-pie raisins, light tobacco notes, some pepper, but dominant on the fruit notes.
Finish: medium-long with spices.

Score : 86 / 100

Nose: Sweet red fruits: strawberries and berries. Slight tobacco notes and dried raisins.
Palate: More on the dried dark fruits, dark bitter chocolate, some spices, tobacco leaves and sweet candy red apples.
Finish: Bitter spices and dried fruits.

Score: 84 / 100

Tobermory (Ledaig) 2009 / 11yo / 54.0% ABV / Refill Bourbon

Nose: Ashy, brown sugar, licorice and cinnamon sticks.
Palate: Apples, smoked bacon, campfire, burned candy and sea salt.
Finish: long finish… I’m in!

Score : 86 / 100

Nose: BBQ, bacon, hickory sauce, sweet peat and red apples.
Palate: Ash pit, soy sauce, caramel fudge and leather.
Finish: Sweet BBBQ-sauce and some pepper.

Score : 85 / 100

Klubb23 release – BenRiach 2013 / 7yo / 59.2% ABV / Bourbon Koval

You might now about the prior Klubb23 release of a Blair Athol 2015 in collaboration Archives, which was matured on a First Fill Koval Barrel? We thought it was a very good release, especially for a very young bottling.

So when Klubb23 had the opportunity to collaborate with Double-V and they told about a 7yo BenRiach matured on an a ex-Bourbon Koval Barrel, the decision was quite fast made. Although sampling was just a matter of curtesy, this was promising juice!

Off course we, Dutch Whisky Brothers and proud Members of a bróðirhood of extraordinary whisky enthousiasts, couldn’t say no to a bottling like this. But we’ll share our honest and objective opinion as always with you:

Nose: Caramel fudge, old clothes mustiness, spices and vanilla pods. Just a delicious nose!
Palate: Smashed apples (appel sauce), brown sugar, pecans and some white pepper.
Finish: Long with licorice root.

Score : 86 / 100

Nose: a (tropical) fruity nose with pineapple and lemons. Also some mustiness to it and gentle spices. Well balanced and interesting on the nose.
Palate: More deep comparing to the nose. Spices and fruits. Burned caramel, creme brûlée and some nuts.
Finish: Oily lingering with spices and again those tropical fruit notes.

Score : 87 / 100

So that was quite a line-up! We went from an ex-Rum barrel to the newcomer in town ex-Bourbon Koval. Although Double-V is a young player in the field of Independent Bottles, it’s a promising one. And that’s not because we had a good Klubb23 bottling, but because of it’s quality and price ratio. We’re looking forward on exploring some more in the future and who know’s… We might find a new Klubb23 bottling in the huge stock Double-V barrels.

If you’re interested in exploring the BenRiach 2013 ex-Bourbon Koval… there are some left 🤫

Slàinte 🥃

Dutch Whisky Brothers