BenRiach Sherry Matured 12 Year (Discontinued)

Nose: An interesting aroma of intense sherry, leather, old oak, cherries, and cedar wood. There's also an orange scent in the background, both fresh and zest. Palate: Lots of sherry, both sweet and dry, upon tasting, along with dried fruits. It's a well-defined and confident palate, and the development reveals shortbread, caramel, raisins, walnuts, bitter dark chocolate, espresso, and a little vanilla. Finish: Surprisingly short. Dry sherry and dark bittersweet chocolate, with a mild gingery spice in the aftertaste. Very pleasant neat, but it can handle water gracefully, and a dash marries everything together wonderfully, bringing out more dark chocolate and malty notes balanced by increased softness to the sherry. For some reason, it always makes me crave a mild cigar. The only flaw is that it seems to suffer from negative oxidation effects. Once my bottle was about half empty, a bitter walnut and leather character started to become slightly too prominent. It's better than average but not an amazing whisky; however, it's certainly worth trying for anyone who enjoys sherry-matured or finished whisky. "Above Average": 81/100 (3 stars)

Purchased this again and felt compelled to share my thoughts… This is a genuine sherry bomb whisky, matured entirely in sherry barrels, not merely finished. It's non-chill filtered and retains its natural color. Served neat, the aroma is powerfully and intensely sherry-driven with fruits. Imagine deep, rich notes of cranberry, strawberry, apricot, and cherry, accompanied by undertones of vanilla, malt, and spice. The palate has an oily texture, offering layers of sweet sherry richness, balanced by hints of leather and oak. Dark berries and thick cream blend with robust malt, nutmeg, and a distinct smokiness, all supporting the nuances of aged leather and old wood. This drinks like a much older whisky than its stated age. The finish is exceptional, extending the palate and shifting from sweet to dry tannins without any bitterness. It's a delicious treat that significantly outperforms expectations. While I understand it's been discontinued, my local store still has some available for the moment. I'm unsure about the successor's quality, but I'm securing more of this one, as the distillery produces excellent new make spirit and their other whiskies, both peated and unpeated, are impressive…. 91/100… I'll pick up a few more bottles to put away but am keen to sample the new expression too.

Thank goodness for the dollar sale at Twin Liquor; I got some excellent bargains, and this was one of them. This is a genuine sherry bomb scotch, aged entirely in sherry casks, not just finished. It's non-chill-filtered and has natural color. Poured neat, the nose is wonderfully strong and heavily influenced by sherry fruits like cranberry, strawberry, apricot, and cherry, deep and rich with some background vanilla and malt. The palate delivers a blast of sherried fruits again, with some malt and light vanilla, along with coffee and wood notes. It's a bit hot, so you need to let it sit in your mouth to get all the flavor. The finish is long with coffee, malt, and dark fruit, drying to wood. A very nice, tasty scotch. It could benefit from a better mouthfeel and a bit more body, but make no mistake, this is delicious. Overall, the heat (lack of refinement) and thin texture prevent it from getting an elite 90s score, but it's close... 88/100... If you enjoy sherry scotch, you should try this.

At first, I really enjoyed this whisky. It possessed lovely flavor and richness, though it was light in body. I still preferred the oily texture of something like Glendronach. However, after purchasing a bottle recently, it didn't quite reach the high standards of my previous experiences. I wonder if tasting it alongside several other whiskies initially masked the imbalance between the alcohol and flavor, or perhaps it was a different bottle. Once opened, it oxidized very rapidly, as most Benriachs do. It's difficult to rate this one. Initially, upon opening, it was a 3.5, rounding up to 4 considering it was only $55 USD, but it barely earns a 3 after being open for 3 months. The flavor has almost entirely faded.

Nose: Sweet dark syrupy red berries, sweet caramels, a touch of sweet mint. Palate: Gentle warm heat, pleasing sweet dark dried stone fruits, caramel, baked apples. Finish: Light sweet spicy tingle, sweet sherry, fruity, light milk chocolate. Score: 86/100 Overall: This was a solid, standard sherried Speyside. The nose was a bit straightforward but well executed. It's not overly complex, but very easy to drink. Best enjoyed neat, though I can see it serving as a good introductory sherried Scotch for many. There's nothing unpleasant about it. Would I drink it if offered? Yes Would I specifically order it? Perhaps Would I buy a bottle? If I could find it for around $40 USD

Aged in a mix of first-fill Oloroso and PX casks, this sherry whisky offers a distinct scent of dried fruit, raisins, and dark chocolate. Initially, the nose is quite subdued and bland. After adding a few drops of water, notes of cinnamon, walnut, and even subtle coffee emerge. BenRiach 12 Sherry Wood tastes sweet, rich, and aromatic with holiday spices, dark fruits, and a delicate nuttiness. The finish is peppery-sweet and surprisingly long, with well-balanced oak influence. It's a decent single malt with minor shortcomings in the aroma.