I once had the misfortune of tasting a 20 year old and vowed never to touch BenRiach again. Luckily I changed my mind and decided to forgive the distillery and uncorked this 12 year old expression.
The first nose is instant bourbon which is quite delightfully interesting. Instantly transporting you to a carnival of aromas where vanilla, coconut, strong caramel, cotton candy and a ripe bananas each offer you a ride if you're willing to go along.
The delicate honey on the palate has a touch of spice on a smudge of marmalade. Un-complex. Simple.
The medium finish is oily with a biscuit and fennel after taste. An easy early evening dram if you ask me.
What I find strange about this 12 yr expression from Benriach is the assortment of abv...My bottle is 46%, and I find it similar to the Balvenie 12 yr Single Cask...A nice dram it is!
Haven't had a dram of this single malt since late July...Gotta say - as a lover of vanilla/honey malts - this one is a winner...Rich honey/vanilla with a pinch of spice (which I'm not sure of - maybe nutmeg?).
All in all - a real winner, and worthy of a score of 88.