With triple and quadruple maturation, plus no fear of combining peated and unpeated malts, Benriach has carved a larger footprint than most

Benriach Distillery in Speyside is a production house that likes to do things in multiples. It produces three types of whisky – classic, peated and triple-distilled and matures in both triple- and four-cask versions. Now owned by Brown Forman, it’s one of a trio of Scottish distilleries that this powerful American conglomerate has in its stable. Its siblings, Glendronach and Glenglassaugh, are equally personality-driven and each has been developed over the past few years by the master blender of all three, Rachel Barrie. 

It’s rare that one person can have an impact on more than one distillery and there can be no argument that Dr Rachel Barrie’s approach with these brands is helping to define the wider market. Reaching global markets and shaping the character and flavour profile of brands as well-known as these is no mean feat. The team behind Benriach, in particular, has relaunched the core collection with a fresh and modern feel that certainly allows it to stand out from its contemporaries. This is a classic Speyside series but with a modern twist and its use of colours and labelling to define its distillery character has been remarkably well done. 

Here’s an introduction to some of the core bottles to help you get to know them better.

The Original 10

This is the signature bottle of the core range. A finely-tuned 43% single malt matured using the distillery’s signature triple-cask approach of ex-bourbon, sherry and new oak.

This is part of a duo of ten-year-olds, its sibling being a smoked version. This classic unpeated release is rich and elegant, with deeply layered honey malt and spiced oak personality and a wonderful introduction to the range. 

Benriach Smoky 12

This is also a two-hander. Rather than be forced to choose a favourite, Rachel Barrie and her team produced two types of the 12-year-old. A classic unpeated and fully peated version. The peated version, pictured here, takes all the classic Benriach texture and flavour and wraps it up in a smokiness that almost reinvents the series.

Matured in ex-bourbon, sherry and marsala wine casks, it is married with a peated element to create a deeply elegant and complex whisky stuffed with flavour. The triple casking and the peated malt combine beautifully to give this smoked edition of the 12-year-old a distinctly individual personality. 

Benriach 16

The return of the Benriach 16 in 2022 was a triumph. Discontinued in 2016 by its previous owners, fans were delighted to see this whisky come back to life. Considered one of its most treasured bottles, the 16-year-old is a wonderful example of the Benriach approach.

Rachel Barrie suggests that the 16 takes all the beauty of their signature style of the 10-year-old and “allows it to bloom” with the extra six years of maturation. With lots of apple and hazelnut on the nose, the palate is driven by lots of honeyed malts, citrus and sweet layers with a just noticeable undercurrent of smoke.

Benriach 21

Not surprisingly the 21-year-old is the top-shelf pour from Benriach’s core range. A four-cask maturation gives it a dynamic edge in a range that already doubles down on three-cask versions. The combination of ex-bourbon, sherry, new oak and Bordeaux red wine casks is a wonderfully complex marriage.

It goes a step further by integrating peated and unpeated malt into a beautifully rich and layered taste experience. On the nose, you can expect lots of that fruit and honey to entice while the taste delivers a long and luxurious experience with lots of cocoa, nuts, oak and spice all wrapped in sweet smoke.

Click here to see all our Benriach bottles