Next up in our minis evening was a discontinued BenRiach…

BenRiach 12 year 43%

• Nose – Freshly chopped wood, sap… bit of varnish? Wood shavings – predominantly pine, fresh balsa wood, very dry… then honey starts to seep in, shifts to crisp granny smith apples, cured hide, tart, bamboo sawdust. After the 1st sip the aromas shifted – became much sweeter, fruits, flowers even a perfume, red velvet cupcake, orange and clove oil, Christmas pudding
• Palate – Honey water, spice and smoke, tobacco leaf, the apple from the nose was baked into a pie with a dash of spice
• Finish – Short to medium, starts sharp, sweet, creamy and tapers off… into a feeling of a finish

We enjoyed this one more and more as it opened up. While it was sweet, the bite of piquant elements adds a certain something. It somehow reminded us of adding a bit of black salt on guava to bring out the sweet.

We set it aside to continue exploring other minis then returned after some time. We continued to enjoy its sweet wood and bamboo shoots aromas. And on the palate? Lovely… like tender palm, then apples and pears with spice.

While now archived, the BenRiach folks have this to say about this 12 year old:

This SMOOTH single malt has an elegant full taste and aroma that captures FRUITY, floral and OAK WOOD NOTES, with fascinating overtones of honey, vanilla and SPICE.

• Colour – Mid-amber, hints of gold.
• Nose – Honey, vanilla, floral, fruity with well balanced wood overtones.
• Taste – Rounded medium to full bodied, rich honey, vanilla with hints of cream, spice and chocolate.

So what else did we try in our minis evening?

• Edradour Fairy Flag 15 year 46%
• Edradour 17 year (1999) Bordeaux Cask Finish 55.2%
• Glenrothes (1992/2016) Cask 1 Lustau Sherry Finish 55.3%
• BenRiach 22 year Moscatel 46% (SMSW)

Not enough BenRiach? Check out some of these:

• 12 year (2005/2018) Cask No 5052 59.3%
• 15 year (1999/2015) Cask no 44016 55.1% (Manitoba Liquor Commission)
• 16 year 40%
• 17 year Septendecim 46%
• 20 year (1994/2014) Cask 808 Olorosso Sherry Peated 54.7%
• 21 year (1988) 54.8%
• 25 year Authenticus Peated 46%
• Peated Quarter Cask 46%

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