Review | Dewar’s Double Agent 16 Years Old

This blended Scotch whisky forms part of the Dewar’s travel retail exclusive range. The Double Agent 16 Years Old undergoes Dewar’s classic ‘double ageing’ process in ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks. However, it is then split between two further cask types – ex-Oloroso sherry and ex-peated Islay. The whisky was launched in Changi airport, Singapore in May 2022 and created by Stephanie Macleod, the Dewar’s Master Blender.

Dewar’s is one of the world’s most well-known blended Scotch whisky brands. It is consistently in the Top 10 for sales with around 40 million bottles sold each year. The famous White Label accounts for most of these sales and is instantly recognisable.

John Dewar & Sons Ltd. was founded by John Dewar in 1846, beginning as a small wine and spirit merchant in Perth, Scotland. He blended his own whiskies using spirits from local distilleries. His sons, John Alexander and Tommy, took over the company when John died in 1880. They were responsible for a period of rapid sales growth, aided by increased travel options and growth of the British Empire.

In 1898 the Aberfeldy distillery was built in rural Perthshire, close to John Dewar’s birthplace. This was to ensure consistent quantities and quality of single malt for their whiskies. Aberfeldy has been a key ingredient in the Dewar’s range ever since. The flagship Dewar’s White Label was launched in 1899. The brand is currently owned by Bacardi. In addition to Aberfeldy, they also own Macduff and Royal Brackla in the Highlands plus Aultmore and Craigellachie in Speyside.

Dewar’s Double Agent 16 Years Old is bottled at 40% ABV and is available exclusively in airports worldwide, especially in Asia, Europe and the US. A one-litre bottle will cost £75/ US$100.

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Our Tasting Notes

The colour is deep gold and the nose is honeyed, fruity and with a wisp of gentle smoke. Aromas of fresh white peach and apricot combine with fresh honeycomb straight from the hive and hints of golden syrup and blanched almond. The smoke sits nicely in the background and wraps around everything. It is soft with a slight acrid and ashy edge. Then comes a delicate strawberry sherbet note. Hints of icing sugar and cocoa powder also come through.

On the palate this whisky is soft, approachable, sweet and with a background smokiness. Caramelised peach and very ripe, juicy apricot lead the way and are quickly joined by the fresh honeycomb and sugared almond. This tends towards marzipan with extra time. Then comes a delicate strawberry sherbet note. Extra fruitiness is supplied by a note of fresh red grapes. Some floral honeysuckle, dried apple and raisin also evolve.

The inherited peat smoke adds a lovely extra dimension and depth. It smoulders away like a distant bonfire and adds a distinct savoury quality – think of dying embers, ash and hints of dried seaweed and a drying sand-like minerality. Further spices come through nicely towards the finish, especially cinnamon bark and clove. Some bittersweet malt also sits underneath.

The finish is of decent length and is where the smoke really takes hold. This feels a little more acrid and Islay-esque now, and dries out the mouth. There is also an enhanced spiciness and some tannin from the oak, which both accentuate this. The only disappointment is that the sweetness and fruity elements fade a bit too quickly.

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What’s The Verdict?

The Dewar’s Double Agent 16 Years Old is delightful and definitely worth checking out when at an airport. It is nice because the smoke could have been overwhelming, but balances the sweet and fruity elements well. It adds a level of complexity, depth and warming dryness that is complimentary rather than overpowering. The whisky shows how sympathetic use of ex-Islay casks that have held peated whisky previously can be used to good effect. Delicious.