BenRiach Horizons 12 year old , triple distilled

Today’s dram is the Benriach Horizons 12. What’s so unique about it is that it’s distilled three times as opposed to most single malts which are distilled twice (or 2.5 times like in Springbank). Will be interesting to see how the third distillation affects the liquid. One thing I do like about this one and many young Benriachs is that it’s bottled at 50% ABV, and not the usual 40-43, and that makes it richer. We should encourage distilleries to go for 48%+ ABV’s even in the younger ranges. So, go go Benriach, and keep this going.

Nose: A bit of an alcohol bite in entry, well yes, The 50% ABV is surely playing it’s trick here. But then we’re off to beautiful places: a lot of toffee in this one ,some nuts, malty goodness, and hot and fresh pastries just out of the oven, with a sprinkle of vanilla and oak. I get quite a bit of tasted oak on the nose, and I have to tell you, I like it.

Palate: Big mouth feel. Oily. Mouth coating. Barley sugars. Butterscotch. Alcoholic and rich. Creamy with vanilla. Chilly and quite nutty and a hint of lemon zest. Finish : Dry. Short. Nutty and malty.

The nose and palate were lovely, yet the finish is a bit lacking in my view. All in all, a worthy 12 year old. Not sure about the triple distillation, but it’s a nice experiment. I’d get a bottle,even though it’s not cheap for a 12 year old. A solid dram. If only the finish was longer…

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