Dewar’s Double Double 32 Year Old Scotch Whisky
Dewar's Double Double 32 Year Old Scotch Whisky is a 92 proof (46% ABV), 375mL blended Scotch finished in Pedro Ximénez sherry casks — the crown of Dewar's Double Double range, built on Master Blender Stephanie Macleod's four-stage double-double aging process. Malt and grain whiskies aged separately for 32 years, blended and re-aged by type, blended together and aged a third time, then finished in PX sherry casks: it was named the World's Best Whisky at the 2020 International Whisky Competition (96.4/100), took Double Gold at the 2022 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and earned Whisky Advocate's Editors' Choice. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 46% (92 proof)
- Size: 375mL
- Age: 32 years; finished in Pedro Ximénez sherry casks
- Process: four-stage double-double aging by Stephanie Macleod — aged separately, blended and re-aged by type, blended together and aged again, sherry-cask finished
- Blender: Dewar's, Perth, Scotland (est. 1846; Bacardi-owned); no chill-filtration, no caramel coloring
- Awards: World's Best Whisky, IWC 2020 (96.4/100); Double Gold, SFWSC 2022; Whisky Advocate Editors' Choice; Whiskycast 94
Four Times Aged, PX Finished
Double Double is Stephanie Macleod's invention, launched in 2019: instead of blending once and bottling, Dewar's ages malt and grain whiskies separately to their age statements, blends the malts and returns them to cask (likewise the grains), blends malt and grain together and ages a third time, then finishes the blend in sherry casks — a different sherry for each age: Oloroso for the 21, Palo Cortado for the 27, and Pedro Ximénez for the 32. The range was created for global travel retail (partnering with DFS at Changi), and the 32 went on to take the top blended-Scotch honors at the 2020 International Whisky Competition while Macleod collected Master Blender of the Year. One detail worth knowing: the original GTR release came in 500mL; current US retail bottles are 375mL, matching the live listing.
Tasting Notes
Jonny McCormick's Whisky Advocate Editors' Choice review (Whiskycast 94, "Outstanding") finds a nose of chocolate-covered raisins, peat smoke, cigar lounge, licorice, chamois leather, and charred oak; a palate of syrupy prune, raisins, plum, raspberry, strawberry, 70% dark chocolate, peppercorn, ginger, and clove with a hint of smoke. Brand copy promises rich, ripe treacle notes with a hint of smokiness and a silky smooth finish, plus dried figs, sweet golden raisins, caramel, stone fruit, and licorice. Dark fruit and dark chocolate over gentle smoke is the register.
How to Enjoy
This is a contemplative neat pour — a Glencairn, no water at first, maybe a drop after the first pass. At 46% with PX sherry depth, it is a dessert whisky in the truest sense; pair it with dark chocolate rather than mixing it. See how it compares to the rest of the scotch whisky shelf and the Dewar's range.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Double Double aging? Dewar's four-stage process: malt and grain whiskies aged separately, blended and re-aged by type, blended together and aged again, then finished in sherry casks.
What sherry cask is Double Double 32 finished in? Pedro Ximénez. (The Double Double 21 is finished in Oloroso; the 27 in Palo Cortado.)
What size is the Double Double 32 bottle? Current US retail bottles are 375mL; the original travel-retail release was 500mL.
The World's Best Whisky of 2020 is on the shelf at Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego — order the Double Double 32 online before it's gone.