Speyside single malt distillery Benriach announced four new additions to its core portfolio. These four single malts were crafted by Master Blender Rachel Barrie. The new additions form the core Benriach portfolio. The 1994 release of Benriach Original Ten was the inspiration of this release.
“The new range perfectly marries tradition and innovation that is central to Benriach’s story,” said Barrie. “In the new Original Ten, a savory, rounded malt character might be discerned, whilst The Twelve balances richly sherried malt with added layers of fruit complexity, reaching a pinnacle at 12 years old. The new Smoky Ten and Smoky Twelve explore the sweet smokiness of Benriach, enriched through innovative combinations of rum, virgin oak and Marsala cask mingled with more traditional bourbon and sherry.”
The four additions are:
- The Original Ten – A minimum of 10 years of aging for this non-peated single malt. Aged in bourbon, sherry, and virgin oak casks. Bottled with natural color at 43% ABV (86 Proof). It has an MSRP of $53.99 for the 750-ml bottle.
- The Original Twelve – This is a non-peated single malt. Aged for at least 12 years in bourbon, sherry, and port casks. Then married and bottled with natural color at 46% ABV (92 Proof). It has an MSRP of $59.99 for the 750-ml bottle.
- The Smokey Ten – This peated single malt is made with a combination of unpeated and peated spirit. The peated spirit is smoked with Highland peat. 10 years of aging in ex-bourbon, ex-Jamaican rum, and toasted virgin oak casks. Then the casks are then blended, and the whiskies are allowed to marry. It is bottled with natural color at 46% ABV (92 Proof) and has an MSRP of $59.99 for the 750-ml bottle.
- The Smokey Twelve – Also made with a blend of peated and unpeated spirit, this single malt used three casks for the aging. Bourbon, sherry, and Marsala wine casks are used. After aging for at least 12 years the casks were blended. Just like the Smokey Ten, bottled with natural color at 46% ABV and has an SRP of $64.99 for the 750-ml bottle.
This core portfolio will be available in the US in October 2020. For 2021 you can expect to see 21 Year, 25 Year, and 30 Year single malt bottlings joining the core Benriach portfolio.