BenRiach 12 Year

This is a distillery I’ve been waiting a long time to explore. I was gifted Batch 002 of their Cask Strength a few years ago, and it was a solid pour. Yet, it’s not until now that I’ve revisited the distillery. I’m not sure if you’d consider this or the 10 year their flagship release, but this felt like a good place to start. Note: This is from their old style of packaging. The tall, sleek tube with the white background and red drawing. It’s likely that this was bottled upwards of 10 years ago. Nose: Gala apple, pear, apricot, and golden raisin. Strong cherry and red/purple grape notes. Vanilla, malt, and toffee. Sandalwood. Coconut. Sugar cookie. Palate: Heavy on the almond and walnut. Some cinnamon spice. Vanilla, toffee, and malt. Milk chocolate, caramel, and honey. A splash of Sprite. The citrus is all lemon and lime. Ginger snaps. Raisins. Sugar cookie. Cranberry. Clove, nutmeg, and oak. Gala apple, pear, apricot. Cohesive and layered. Finish: Cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and white pepper. Orange citrus and nectarine. White pepper. Pencil shavings. Vanilla, malt, and toffee. Green grape and golden raisin. Moderate to long finish. This is a strong performance for a flagship bottling. It’s a spicy affair, and it gets every last bit of mileage out of an already respectable 56% ABV. It’s priced slightly high for what it is. But it really is excellent judged purely on its merits. The work that went into crafting this is apparent, and at $65, I’d highly recommend you grab if you can. I guess that it’s y all that for a standard 12 year old anymore either. What sets this apart is how interesting the combination of heat and depth of flavor—especially on the palate and finish. When I’m looking for a bottle of entry Speyside or Highland whisky, this will sit toward the very top of that list. 4.5/5.

85000KRW 데일리샷 2024.04.11 향은 깊지 않음 첫 맛은 다른 엔트리급 싱글몰트랑 비슷 하지만 피니쉬가 좋다 끝에 올라오는 달달함과 향긋함이 좋음 특별히 튀는 맛,향도 없어서 호불호 없을 거 같음 엔트리 쉐리 싱글몰트 위스키로 가성비 좋다

I get toasted marshmallows, but i might be crazy on that one. Some notes of orange peel early on. Sampled it side by side with their smokey 12, and I like the smokey version better. Likely personal taste though.

Cream brûlée, molasses, less smoke than the 10 year. Great expression!