Benriach 12 Year Old - The Twelve

Benriach is one of the few Speyside distilleries that produces both peated and unpeated versions of its entry-level spirit. I’m keen to explore their peated offerings soon, but for now, we’re focussing on The Twelve, a 12-year-old expression from their core range. Located just south of Elgin, the Benriach name is loudly emblazoned on the side of the warehouse facing the A941 — surely one of the hardest distilleries to miss when driving past! Let’s see if the whisky lives up to this brash signage…

Bottle

I adore this bottle. It matches my perfect aesthetic: slightly short and sturdy — a solid bottle. The embossing is perfectly executed, with the interlinked B & D on the shoulder, and the label is a modern classic. It is information-rich yet easy to read at a glance, and it simply looks elegant.

Colour

Mercifully for a core range expression, this spirit is naturally coloured. It is a mixture of whisky aged in sherry, bourbon, and port casks and the port influence really shines through, making it noticeably darker than the 10-year-old. The tawny hue is deeply pleasing, especially knowing it’s all natural.

Nose - Rich maple syrup is prominent here with a subtle floral note in the background. There is a promise of forest fruits especially, blackberries and blueberries. This is all set against the backdrop of dark chocolate. A delicious nose.

Palate - The initial flavour is of torched orange. The maple syrup is more mellow, probably more like honey but there is the undertone of malt and cereal too.

Finish - A lovely long finish punctuated with some spiciness. Pepper and ginger make this a lovely ending.

Overall

This is an excellent example of a classic sherried Speyside dram. The delightfully rich sweetness is not overpowering and is expertly balanced with the spice. To me, this is exactly what I think of when I want a good, Speyside and it is one that I think everyone should try (at least once).

At around £45 a bottle this is a pretty good price for dram and is a significant upgrade on the 10 year old version. It is often available at a discount in the regular seasonal sales and it’s a bottle I expect to keep in stock regularly from now on.