Benriach 12 Year Old Sherry Wood

This one’s popular here in Taiwan. It’s a 12 year old Benriach that’s been finished in both Oloroso and PX casks. The Taiwanese love their sherried whiskies, so this certainly fits the bill. This was one of my favourite go-to malts during my first couple years as a whisky enthusiast. This, Highland Park 12, Bunnahabhain 12, and a series of other reasonably priced and accessible malts were my early benchmarks for quality. It’s interesting to go back to them once in a while. Sometimes we’re disappointed by the whiskies we once regarded so highly, and sometimes they’re just as good as we remember them. It’s the latter, in this case.

Nose: Rich, sweet sherry, quite soft and delicate. Gentle caramel, raisins, sweet cinnamon, red apple skin, maraschino cherries, nutmeg, demerera sugar, plum, oak.

Palate: Medium mouthfeel, with brown sugar and baking spices on arrival. Big sherry, maple syrup, milk, Sugar Crisp cereal, raisins.

Finish: Medium, with a beautiful sweetness. Caramel, charred oak, brown sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, sweet cinnamon, apricot, sultanas, maraschino cherries, plum, cream.

Thoughts: Really nice. The sherry finish has integrated beautifully with the spirit. It's a dessert dram for sure. As someone who's rather sensitive to these sweeter drams, I can vouch for this one. Sweet but never cloying. The brown sugar note enjoys a nice balance with the wine and wood notes. Rather gentle, with a certain creaminess rarely found in sherried whiskies. Character-wise, I'm reminded of Glenmo's Sonnalta PX. And for a fraction of the price, who are we to complain? Loads of character here, and great bang for buck. Recommended.

In these times of high demand regarding quality whiskies, whether it be at high or low prices, it is very hard as an average whisky enthusiast to know where to spend your money. Luckily reviews are abundant, but batch variations and the sometimes confusing variation in reviews regarding a particular whisky can really make it complicated.

Should you buy this Benriach 12? If you like quality whiskies and you appreciate sherry finishes then the answer is YES. I can recommend this even to those of you who are deep in the sherry "rabbit hole" of old, well aged sherry monsters, as the quality in this steps it up and crucially it would be a refreshing experience coming from an older sherried malt to this one.

Nose: Wonderfull dynamic sherry, sweet with a balanced sourness. Winegums. Nutty, pecan and walnuts specifically. Cinammon on the tail.

Palate: A syrupy almost "gooey" sherry that makes you salivate. Nutty and almost buttery, this is dense high quality sherry, and it works so well with the malt. A bit of campfer and touch of salt. Dates and damp weeds (interesting) and menthol cake ala Glenfarclas 15.

Finish: The pungent sherry sweet&sour lingers with a bit of saltniess and a note of blood-oranges precedes the curtain call.

This is not the most complex sherry malt you will encounter by any stretch, but it has enough natural complexity to satisfy your demands as an enthusiast and if you need an uncomplicated young quality sherry finished tipple when you are in the mood. Then this is about as perfect as you can have it.

Convergences. Gotta love 'em. In this case, great reviews, an attractive profile, and an astonishingly fair price from our local population-fleecing institution (the LCBO), converged to compel the purchase of this fine whisky. Without hyperbole, my favourite sherry matured whisky to date (or a close tie, at least, with Glenfarclas 17).

Nose: very rich and aromatic with cherries, jam, raisin, toffee, dark chocolate, and baking spices

Palate: sweet arrival with spices up front. More cherries, sherry, red fruits, and cocoa.

Finish: warming and lingering. Figs and red fruit with a prolonged spice (cinnamon). A nice balance of dry and spicy, and sweet and fruity.

A fantastic whisky, especially for the price (I think it was around $68 at the LCBO). So good, in fact, that I tracked down one of the last 5 bottles in Ontario for my brother (a fan of sherried whiskies).

I bought this bottle for a very reasonable price at a local retailer here in Taiwan. The salesman at the store seemed to endorse it (in an honest way). I had tried the traditional 12 yr old Benriach and I had thought it was quite good, but not great. He assured me this was a very different dram. I was interested by the combination of Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez casks. I had no idea at that time that I was about to discover an absolutely lovely whisky that would become a mainstay in my cabinet.

Right away we get a hit of spice with the nose. Sultanas, pepper, and nutmeg. Then the sherry scent starts to show itself. I get some dark cherries, dried banana, figs, and burnt vanilla.

The arrival is even spicier. As it hits the front of your mouth you notice it's soft creamy texture. As soon as it reaches the back of your tongue it's a quick and strong spice attack. For some reason I'm reminded of Caribbean jerk spice here, but that may just be me. Peppery. The spiciness doesn't linger, but rather smoothly transitions into the sherry flavours, with figs, cherries, and caramel rounding it out. The finish is quite creamy. The flavours linger but become light and almost milky as they dissipate.

I tend to enjoy sherried whiskies above all else, but I also enjoy creaminess. This one is a particularly enjoyable and unique dram as it has married both of these qualities beautifully. There's spice, there's sherried complexity, and there's a finish that's as smooth as ice cream. It's not for everyone. The spices may be a bit much for some. Also, it's not a full on sherry bomb, nor is it a "light" creamy whisky. It's somewhere in between, without loosing its Speyside identity. Certainly interesting and one I'll definitely be buying again. If you can find it. You may not love it, but you won't be bored.

This is my third BenRiach I've tried. Curiositas and Arumaticus Fumosus were 2 for 2, and I greatly appreciate a deep rich scotch aged in sherry casks, so you can believe I was excited about this BenRiach arriving on the shelves at the SAQ in Quebec. The nose is soft and sweet with aromas of dark chocolate and vanilla draping over brown sugar. Visions of date squares dusted in cocoa took over my thoughts until a waft of fresh cut grass weighed it all down. The palate filled with spices, mostly cloves and a hint of cardamon from across the room. Fresh figs and blueberry jelly coated my mouth and then faded into an earthy, spicy (like chewing on the cloves) finish. The finish was long and after a couple of moments gave way to dried apricots to close. This was definitely a rich and decadent scotch. I would suggest it as a beginner scotch to anyone who is slightly more adventurous than one searching for the most tame spirit out there, although it has enough character to please your more experienced noser as well. A great dram!