BenRiach Distillery

12-Year-Old Sherry Cask
Age: 12 Years
ABV: 46%
Maturation: 100% Sherry Cask

We’re huge fans of Billy Walker. An industry legend with over 50 years in the whisky game, he is credited with reversing the fortunes of several distilleries over the years.

He is making great whisky at GlenAllachie these days but in 2004 he took over and led the resurrection of another of our favourites - BenRiach.

Billy is respected throughout the whisky world for his obsession with quality and his love of big flavour. He has been instrumental in the explosion of interest in malts aged in ex-sherry casks.

We’re always looking for new and interesting whisky and this one is definitely interesting but far from new.

Hidden in the back of a dusty warehouse since Billy’s days at BenRiach we were thrilled when we found a stash of BenRiach 12-year-old aged in 100% sherry wood. Don’t get us wrong, we love the new 12-year-old triple cask but it’s hard to top all-sherry maturation.

Sure the label looks a bit retro but the juice is phenomenal!

Non-chill filtered and bottled at its natural rich mahogany hue, the nose has aromas of dried fruits, orange peel, stewed apples, maple syrup, marzipan, oak wood, Christmas spices, ginger and a touch of flint dust.

The palate is full-bodied with dry sherry notes, raisins, dates, brown sugar, burnt caramel, dark chocolate, bitter almonds, cinnamon and a hint of sea salt. Sweetening towards the finish with lingering nutty and burnt sugar flavours, warm spices and cigar tobacco notes it has great length and complexity.