Benriach The Smoky Twelve

Smells sweet, not overwhelmingly smokey, pretty decent

Very unique... a Smokey Speyside... Love it...

Aroma carries a hint of sherry-like sweetness that almost disappears under the light peat but works well with the dried fruits and malty notes; Palate is the waxiest of the new core and sits heavy and warm with a similar profile to the aroma; Finish is nice, but kind of muted.

Pleasant smoke. Smooth finish

Fruit and caramel amidst swirling smoke Nose after resting 15 min: Smooth peat/campfire smoke, a touch of lemon citrus, apple mixed with medium caramel, butterscotch, blueberry Taste: sweet fruity malt, a touch of bright acidity mixed with smoke, as it moves across the palate the rich fruits come to the fore then more clean smoke, candied nuts, and sweet caramel and vanilla. Ends on a milky chocolate and smoke note with a satisfying length of finish punctuated with more occasional notes of bright fruit in the smoke. Might even catch a blueberry note in the finish.

Blender Rachel Barrie throws Marsala casks into the mix for this new addition to the Benriach range, alongside bourbon and sherry barrels. Marsala casks typically add a sweet note to whisky, and that’s very much the case here. There’s more of a menthol peat on the nose than a smokey one. The taste brings to mind stewed pears dusted with cinnamon and drizzled with simple syrup, while the finish is sugar and spice. Overall, it was a bit sweet for my liking, so add at least a quarter point to my score if your preferences lean that way. As with the Original 10 and the Smokey 10, I prefer the unpeated 12 to this, despite being very much a peat lover. You have to reach for the 21-year-old if you want a great peated Benriach.