Benriach The Smoky Twelve

Sweet and smoky. More of a barbecue smokiness rather than earthy

Slight smoke, easy super, very light and sweet

Mild smoke and slight orange peel on the nose. On the palate, lots of dark chocolate and dark fruits from the Marsala cask with some smoke as well. Very good!

Upon nosing, the “smoky” presents moderately peaty with gobs of vanilla from the bourbon cask behind the sweet clover and mostly charcoal smoke. A touch of orange blossom honey and candied orange peel, no doubt from the Sherry cask, plus a tinge of dark fruit like Italian plums cuts through the cloud to hint at the Marsala wine cask influence. After an initial hit of honey and caramel sweetness, with a gentle pepperiness and some potent mandarin citrus pith, it transitions into a brief Tootsie Roll chocolate before becoming very ashy on the tongue. Fat, fast legs with heavy tears are few, leaving a misting of tiny droplets behind. The mouthfeel is surprisingly on the thin side, but not bad. The somewhat short finish is very dry, sooty, still a bit orange citrusy but with some lemon now, and just a tad tannic like iced tea but with a subtle woodiness or perhaps almond skins. Nose: 9 Taste: 8 Body: 7 Finish: 7

This whisky confuses me. Why is it so damn cheap?? This is almost exactly what im looking for in a scotch. Perfectly balanced. A little peaty, a little fruity and winy, a little tannic and dry. Gotta be the absolute best value in scotch.