BenRiach 12 Years Old Sherry Wood Matured (46%, OB, 2018)

• Category: Speyside single malt scotch whisky
• Origin: BenRiach distillery
• Bottling: Brown-Forman, OB
• ABV: 46%
• Cost: £45

Image courtesy of Master of Malt

What they say

BenRiach, the unconventional Speyside distillery, has reintroduced a gold award winning expression to its core  range. BenRiach Sherry Wood Aged 12 Years showcases the distillery’s reputation for creative, multi-faceted  maturation. Made using three styles of sherry cask maturation: full sherry cask maturation, combined with Pedro  Ximénez and Oloroso sherry cask finishing, the expression offers layers of fruit sweetness and toasted oak spice with a luscious dessert-like finish.

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What I say

Sample provided by BenRiach and SpeyPR.

Distilled at BenRiach distillery and matured for a minimum of 12 years exclusively in ex-Sherry casks and further finished in a mixture of ex-Oloroso & ex-PX casks. Another classic whisky re-released from their trio of distilleries under the new ownership of Brown-Forman.

My tasting notes:

• Appearance: Copper (11/20), quick, oily, medium-large tears leave medium-fine legs.
• Nose: Sweet red and dried fruits, leather, malty cereal barley, dry and dusty, a touch floral in places, toffee apples, orange oil and hints of blackberry.
• Taste: Light boded, dried fruits, raisin, fig, light spice build resulting in Jamaican gingerbread, clove, mace, earthy brambles, blackcurrants and elderberries
• Finish: Long, ginger-spiced muskovado sugar, oak wood, drying.

Overall

Surprisingly I found myself thinking this isn’t as overtly sherried as I was expecting. Sure there is some spice but there is a freshness to the red berry fruits on the palate that was both earthy and refreshing. Overall quite balanced.

Score 84/100

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