Benriach 12 Year Old - Sherry Wood (Old Bottling) 70cl Whisky

“This is simply great value for the money. If you like sherry cask influenced whiskies, you can't go wrong with this one. It's loads and loads of sherry on the nose. When the bottle is first opened you get the distinctive Speyside spices, but they got demolished completely once it picks up some air. This is sherry territory my friends. When you smell it some more you get the hints of vanilla from the oak and even some peat in the far far background - may be just because it's been stored along the peated whiskies made by BenRiach. On the mouth, it's again full of sherry. But also malt, lots of malt. It hasn't given up on the vigorous spices of youth just yet, you can taste them on your tongue - but not in an unpleasant way. Note the sherry casks are large, the 12-years-old has had overall less contact with the oak, and you can definitely tell that this tastes more like an 8 years than 12 years old. There are more spices and dried fruit on the finish. Not a huge oak, however, just some hints in the background. Excellent stuff if you like me like sherry matured whiskies. ”

Hubert