Benriach 12 yo - The Smoky Twelve

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 46% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

Benriach The Smoky Twelve brings together peated and unpeated spirits matured in three different cask types. The whiskies spend at least twelve years in Bourbon Barrels, sherry casks and Marsala wine casks before being married. The bottling combines ripe fruit and creamy sweetness with bold smoke and warming oak spice.

The Marsala casks come from Sicily, where this fortified wine is made. Benriach uses their influence to develop the whisky’s creamy, sweet side. Master Blender Rachel Barrie oversees the selection and marrying of the matured whiskies.

The Smoky Twelve is bottled at 46% alcohol without chill filtration or added colouring. Its golden colour comes from cask maturation. The 0.7-litre bottle is supplied in a tube.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: On the nose, smoky vanilla and charred orange meet toasted almonds.
• Palate: Dark chocolate, fruit peel and brown sugar combine with smoky oak.
• Finish: Cocoa and orange remain present in the lingering finish, accompanied by a smoky note.

Distillery/Bottler:

John Duff founded Benriach in 1898 on the site of the former Riach Farm in northern Speyside. The distillery was forced to close as early as 1900 following the Pattison crisis. Its floor maltings remained in operation, however, supplying malt to the neighbouring Longmorn distillery. Benriach did not resume whisky production until 1965.

The water comes from a mineral-rich groundwater source beneath the distillery grounds. During mashing, Benriach uses four additions of water to convert the barley’s starch into fermentable sugar and extract as much of it as possible. Slow distillation with an extended heart cut supports the spirit’s fruit-forward character.

Benriach has also made whisky from peat-smoked malted barley since the early 1970s. During its annual Smoke Season, the distillery focuses on this style. The Highland peat used lends a sweet character reminiscent of forest smoke. Alongside unpeated and peated spirits, Benriach produces small quantities of triple-distilled whisky; The Smoky Twelve combines the first two styles.

Facts: