Benriach The Twelve

Rating: 14/23 N: This is much fuller and fruitier than BenRiach The Original Ten. There's some malt, but it plays second fiddle to the decadent blackberry, cherry, and strawberry notes. I'm really enjoying this nose, though I'm a bit wary because the The Original Ten's palate let me down after its nose. There's a bit of musty grain with a mellow woody backing from the barrel. It is increasingly hitting me that this is not a super complex nose once I get past the fruit, unfortunately. A little funk from the stills, but it's mild. Ooh, I'm getting some cinnamon from the barrel too now. And some actual vanilla. P: Lots of fruit. It's sweet, but tempered by a thin layer of dry wood. The fruit flavor certainly isn't bad, but it is a bit exaggerated in a way that seems a little over-finished. As far as the fruits go, I'm struggling to pick out the exact ones, but I'm thinking currant, blackberry, strawberry, and plum. Perhaps smaller amounts of cherry, orange, and tangerine. Getting past the fruit, that tannic layer builds and transforms into woodiness. A little vanilla richness. I get some lightly waxy malt as well. There are some spices. I'm thinking ginger, but beyond that it's just kind of a general spiciness. The flavors here don't integrate terribly well, though nothing stands out as problematic. A little bit of an alcohol bite, but not much. I'm getting some oloroso oiliness as well. F: A washed out woody layer behind a bit of malt and some vague fruitiness. Nothing exciting, but it's fine. - Conclusion - Unfortunately, the casks overwhelm this one a bit. It lacks subtlety and nuance. It's still pretty tasty and it's not hard to sip, but it's nothing exceptional. Unfortunately, I am not convinced that this is better than The Original Ten (14/23). There's certainly less alcohol on the finish, but the more natural flavor of The Original Ten demonstrates more balance and possibly sophistication. This is a touch confused in comparison. I'm still inclined to place this above Compass Box Artist's Blend (13/23), but I am absolutely not confident that this is as good as Old Pulteney 12 (14/23) and it certainly doesn't match up to Knappogue Castle 12 (15/23). This is in the 13 to 14 range. I did consider going with a 13 for a bit, but I think this is good enough to get a 14. Still, I'm not impressed by it. Whereas The Original Ten is a high 14, I think that this is more of a solid 14. If I drink enough of this, I get used to the excessive fruit flavor and it starts to taste better. The fruit isn't actually all that excessive, but it's a bit much. This lands in the category of drams that are better after you've had a couple already. Having finished rating this and checked the distiller tasting notes, I see where they're getting that ripe raspberry flavor.

Warm, generous, non-pitted. Complex taste

Sweeter, vanilla, light smoke