I write this from quarantine in London, where I arrived a couple of days ago to visit family. Despite everyone on my flight having to get a rapid covid test at Newark airport before boarding, the rules dictate that I sequester myself for 14 days with only online grocery orders and a backlog of tasting packs from the Whisky Show to keep me sustained. Okay, the whisky isn’t strictly part of the rules, but there’s only so much time I can fill with work, TV, books and video games. First up are the new Benriachs: the 10- and the 12-year and their Smokey iterations. There’s more than a couple of years and a dose of peat to differentiate these four bottles, which replace similar ones in the core range. Each also features a different mix of barrels from the riotous palette that blender Rachel Barrie has at her disposal in the Benriach warehouses. The Original 10, to give the new version its full name, features bourbon, sherry and virgin oak casks and has a smidgen of peat, so it’s more than just a rebranding of the previous version, which was bourbon, sherry and no peat. It’s a fruity dram, with crisp green apples and a touch of honey on the nose. The palate is green apples and lemon juice while the medium length finish leans towards lemon rind, with a hint of oak spice and smoke. A very pleasant whisky and my second favorite of the four.