16
Expressions
16
With Tasting Notes
100%
Completeness
About
A versatile Speyside distillery near Elgin, founded in 1898 and notable for producing both peated and unpeated single malts -- unusual for Speyside. Was silent from 1900 to 1965 (one of the longest closures followed by a successful revival in Scottish whisky). Acquired by Billy Walker in 2004, who transformed it from an obscure blending malt into a celebrated single malt brand through innovative cask finishes and vintage releases. Sold to Brown-Forman in 2016 alongside GlenDronach. BenRiach is one of only a handful of Speyside distilleries with its own floor maltings still in occasional use. The core range -- The Original 10 (unpeated), The Smoky Ten, The Smoky Twelve, and various age-stated expressions -- showcases the distillery's dual personality. The peated expressions (at around 35 PPM phenol) offer a Speyside-meets-Islay experience that is distinctly BenRiach.
Production Details
Owner
Brown-Forman Corporation
Parent Company
Brown-Forman Corporation
Status
Active
Founded
1898
Still Type
Pot
Stills
4
Capacity
2.8M LPA
Water Source
Burnside spring via underground wells
Core Range7
BenRiach The Original TenCore
10 Years43% ABV$45-60
Three cask matured: bourbon barrels, sherry casks, virgin oak casks
4/4 Tasting
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Sight
Golden yellow; natural colour, bright and clear with medium legs
Smell
Fresh orchard fruit — green apple, crisp pear, and ripe peach leap from the glass. Fudge, toffee, honeycomb, and vanilla. Underlying malty sweetness with light nougat and wood shavings. A subtle trace of smoke weaves through the fruity top notes
Sip
Well-balanced and malty. Orchard fruit sweetness (apple, pear, peach) with honeyed malt, toffee, vanilla, and butterscotch. Banana bread and dried apricot emerge mid-palate. Light cinnamon and nutmeg spice from the virgin oak. Medium body with a creamy mouthfeel and toasted oak backbone
Savor
Medium to medium-long finish. Honey and vanilla persist with gentle malt warmth. Sweet porridge, almond, and light fruit fade gracefully. Toasted oak and gentle spice linger. Longer and warmer than expected for a 10-year-old
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Greengrocer: Orchard (green apple, pear, peach), Dried (apricot); Sweet Shop: honey, toffee, butterscotch, fudge, vanilla; Bakery: Sweet (banana bread, nougat, sweet porridge); Furniture Maker: Wood (toasted oak); Natural Foods: Spices (cinnamon, nutmeg); Natural Foods: Nuts (almond)
BenRiach The Smoky TenCore
10 Years46% ABV35 PPM$50-60
Three cask matured: bourbon barrels, Jamaican rum casks, toasted virgin oak casks
4/4 Tasting
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Sight
Warm gold; natural colour with a slight amber tinge from rum cask influence, medium legs
Smell
Sweet peat smoke with boot leather undertones that mellow into saline and burnt sugar. Cream, melon, and green apple beneath the smoke. The rum cask adds a tropical sweetness to the peat
Sip
Fresh and vibrant up front with melon and crisp apple, then drying as the peat smoke builds. Baking spice on the back palate — cinnamon, nutmeg. Rum cask influence adds brown sugar and tropical fruit sweetness that wraps the smoke. Medium body with good balance between fruit, smoke, and spice
Savor
Medium finish with lingering sweet smoke, baking spice, and malt. The rum cask sweetness persists alongside gentle peat warmth. Clean and well-integrated
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Smoke House: Peat (sweet, heathery — Speyside character); Sweet Shop: burnt sugar, brown sugar, cream; Greengrocer: Orchard (apple, melon); Bakery: Sweet (baking spice); Furniture Maker: Leather (boot leather); Natural Foods: Spices (cinnamon, nutmeg); Walk to Lighthouse: Sea (saline note)
BenRiach The Smoky TwelveCore
12 Years46% ABV35 PPM$55-70
Three cask matured: bourbon barrels, sherry casks, Marsala wine casks
4/4 Tasting
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Sight
Deep amber gold; rich colour from sherry and Marsala cask influence, medium-full legs
Smell
Sweet earthy smoke, toasted marshmallow, toasted almond, orange zest. Rich and inviting with the Marsala adding a dark wine-fruit dimension to the peat. More complex nose than the Smoky Ten
Sip
Honeycomb, apricot, toasted bread, cocoa, and caramelized sugar over a foundation of sweet peat smoke. The Marsala wine cask adds dried fruit richness and a slightly savoury quality. Medium-full body with excellent integration of smoke, fruit, and oak
Savor
Medium-long finish with candied orange, malt sweetness, subtle oak tannins, and spice. The peat smoke lingers elegantly alongside the Marsala-influenced dried fruit. More persistent than the Smoky Ten
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Smoke House: Peat (sweet, earthy); Sweet Shop: honeycomb, caramelized sugar, toasted marshmallow, cocoa; Greengrocer: Dried (apricot), Citrus (orange zest, candied orange); Pub/Bar: Wine (Marsala); Bakery: Sweet (toasted bread); Natural Foods: Nuts (toasted almond); Furniture Maker: Wood (oak)
BenRiach The ThirtyCore
30 Years46% ABV35 PPM$600-875
Four cask matured: ex-bourbon barrels, sherry casks, virgin oak casks, port casks — fully peated stock
4/4 Tasting
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Sight
Deep golden amber; rich and lustrous from 30 years of maturation and port cask influence, very slow thick legs
Smell
Warm and sweet with salty sea air and musk. Dusty and woody spices, vanilla pod, beeswax polish, and dark dried fruits. The 30-year peat has evolved into something ethereal and incense-like
Sip
Stone fruit medley leads into vegetal grassiness, with bitterness tempered into spice, returning to fruit with sun-warmed peach. Prominent soft peat smoke — cinnamon, clove, all-spice, nutmeg, and toasted oak. Heavy notes of citrus oil, hard caramel, and honeycomb. Full-bodied with extraordinary depth. Extremely rare peated Speyside at this age
Savor
Very long finish with cocoa toning down the sweet brightness. Peat smoke, dried fruit, and oak spice persist. Beeswax and leather emerge. One of the most unusual whiskies in Scotch — a 30-year-old peated Speyside malt is virtually unheard of
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Smoke House: Peat (evolved, ethereal, incense-like); Sweet Shop: caramel, honeycomb, beeswax; Greengrocer: Orchard (peach, stone fruit), Citrus (citrus oil), Dried (dark dried fruits); Pub/Bar: Wine (port); Furniture Maker: Wood (oak, polished), Leather, Oils/Wax (beeswax polish); Natural Foods: Spices (cinnamon, clove, all-spice, nutmeg); Sweet Shop: Chocolate (cocoa); Walk to Lighthouse: Sea (salty sea air)
BenRiach The TwelveCore
12 Years46% ABV$55-65
Three cask matured: bourbon barrels, sherry casks, port casks
4/4 Tasting
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Sight
Rich amber gold; deeper colour than the Original Ten from sherry and port cask influence, medium-full legs
Smell
Complex and bold — tobacco, sultana grapes, maple syrup, sandalwood, and cherries. Baked pear and dark honey. Richer and more layered than the Original Ten with pronounced sherry and port influence
Sip
Full-bodied and complex. Raisins, dark honey, cinnamon, oak spice, and caramel. Baked fruits emerge from the port cask influence. More depth and richness than expected for a core 12-year-old. Creamy mouthfeel with warming spice
Savor
Medium-long finish with white pepper, cinnamon, ginger, dried fruits, tangerine, and coffee. The port and sherry cask influence adds persistence and complexity. Warm and satisfying
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Greengrocer: Dried (sultana, raisins), Orchard (baked pear), Citrus (tangerine); Sweet Shop: dark honey, caramel, maple syrup; Pub/Bar: Wine (sherry, port); Bakery: Sweet (baked fruits); Furniture Maker: Wood (sandalwood, oak); Natural Foods: Spices (cinnamon, ginger, white pepper); Tobacco Shop: tobacco; Tea/Coffee: coffee
BenRiach The Twenty FiveCore
25 Years46% ABV$350-450
Four cask matured: ex-bourbon barrels, sherry casks, virgin oak casks, Madeira casks
4/4 Tasting
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Sight
Deep amber gold with copper tones; viscous and full-bodied appearance, very slow heavy legs
Smell
Rich and layered — baked apple, golden syrup, raisins, fresh peach, and milk chocolate. Hints of toffee, orange oil, and an underlying sweet peat smoke. The Madeira cask adds an exotic dried fruit dimension
Sip
Viscous and luxurious. Fresh peach and apricot, green apple and dark cherry, golden syrup and toffee. Sweet peat smoke with a mellow, slightly dusty quality. Ripe banana and juicy orange with moderate smokiness. Full-bodied with silky, oily mouthfeel from 25 years of maturation
Savor
Long finish where sherry comes to the fore, layering in ginger, seaside brine, and lingering fruit. Simultaneously reliable and unique. Velvety walnut and kumquat notes close the experience
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Greengrocer: Orchard (baked apple, peach, apricot, cherry), Citrus (orange oil, kumquat), Tropical (banana), Dried (raisins); Sweet Shop: golden syrup, toffee, milk chocolate; Pub/Bar: Wine (sherry, Madeira); Furniture Maker: Wood (oak), Walnut; Smoke House: Peat (sweet, mellow); Walk to Lighthouse: Sea (brine); Natural Foods: Spices (ginger)
BenRiach The Twenty OneCore
21 Years46% ABV$140-225
Four cask matured: bourbon barrels, sherry casks, virgin oak casks, Bordeaux red wine casks
4/4 Tasting
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Sight
Deep amber with copper highlights; rich and inviting from four-cask maturation, slow viscous legs
Smell
Punchy oak and fruit orchard open with candy floss and exotic fruits (papaya). Light touch of peat, charred character folding into honey, almond, and nougat. Complex layering from four cask types
Sip
Chocolate-forward start with subtle ginger, ripe plums, cranberry, and light coffee. Sultanas, pecans, candied grape, and caramelised pear alongside a wisp of smoked pine nut. Full-bodied with remarkable depth and complexity from the four-cask vatting. Rachel Barrie's masterful blending is evident
Savor
Very long finish with cereal notes blended with honey and touches of caramel. The Bordeaux wine cask adds lingering dark fruit elegance. Oak spice and gentle smoke persist
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Greengrocer: Orchard (pear, plum), Tropical (papaya), Vine (cranberry, grape), Dried (sultana); Sweet Shop: honey, caramel, candy floss, dark chocolate; Bakery: Sweet (nougat); Tea/Coffee: coffee; Pub/Bar: Wine (Bordeaux red wine); Furniture Maker: Wood (oak); Natural Foods: Nuts (almond, pecan); Natural Foods: Spices (ginger); Smoke House: Peat (faint wisp)
Limited / Special Releases9
BenRiach Cask Edition PX Puncheon 12 Year Old
12 Years202235 PPM
Single cask #3812 — Pedro Ximenez puncheon, peated
4/4 Tasting
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Sight
Deep mahogany with ruby highlights from PX cask influence; rich and viscous
Smell
Clean moderate burn with peaty, smoky, earthy notes of vanilla, caramel, and raw pear. The PX adds intense dried fruit sweetness
Sip
Apple cinnamon, black pepper, and butterscotch along with lemon zest, sugared raisins, and spicy honey. The marriage of peat smoke and PX sherry sweetness creates a bold, complex profile. Non-chill filtered single cask bottling
Savor
Medium-long finish with lingering peat smoke, PX sweetness, and spice. The dried fruit and smoke intertwine on the fade
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Smoke House: Peat (earthy, smoky); Pub/Bar: Wine (PX sherry); Sweet Shop: butterscotch, caramel, honey; Greengrocer: Orchard (apple, pear), Citrus (lemon zest), Dried (sugared raisins); Natural Foods: Spices (cinnamon, black pepper)
BenRiach Malting Season First Edition
NAS48.7% ABV2021$80-110
Bourbon barrels — 23 barrels, distilled 2nd November 2012 from floor-malted Concerto barley
4/4 Tasting
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Sight
Pale gold; natural colour, bright and clean from bourbon barrel maturation, thin fast legs
Smell
Pear drops and Campino sweets with earthy barley and cut oak. Fresh and malty — the floor-malting process is evident in the raw barley character. Light vanilla and honey
Sip
Vanilla, lemon, grassy malt, toffee, and melted butter on crumpets. The floor-malted character shines through — a distinctly earthy, cereal quality not found in the standard range. Medium body with creamy bourbon barrel sweetness
Savor
Medium finish with lasting sweetness of caramel and vanilla pod. Clean and malty with gentle warmth. The floor-malted barley adds a grain-forward character that distinguishes this from the core range
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Bakery: Sweet (crumpets, melted butter); Sweet Shop: vanilla, toffee, caramel, pear drops; Greengrocer: Citrus (lemon), Orchard (pear); Garden Path (grassy, earthy barley); Furniture Maker: Wood (cut oak)
BenRiach Malting Season Second Edition
NAS48.9% ABV2022$80-110
Bourbon barrels — floor-malted Concerto barley
4/4 Tasting
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Sight
Pale gold; natural colour, similar to the First Edition, thin to medium legs
Smell
Orange peel, vanilla, rich malt, almond, and barrel char. More developed than the First Edition with additional citrus brightness and nutty character
Sip
Caramel, earthy smoke, drying spices, and citrus. The barrel char adds a toasty dimension. More complex than the First Edition with better oak integration. Medium body
Savor
Long and delicately sweet finish. The earthy barley character lingers alongside vanilla and gentle spice. Clean and satisfying
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Greengrocer: Citrus (orange peel); Sweet Shop: vanilla, caramel; Natural Foods: Nuts (almond); Bakery: Sweet (malt, barley); Furniture Maker: Wood (barrel char, oak); Smoke House: Wood/Smoke (earthy smoke, subtle)
BenRiach Malting Season Third Edition
NAS48.3% ABV2023$90-120
Bourbon barrels — floor-malted barley, combining 9.5 and 10.5 year old stocks from 2012-2013
4/4 Tasting
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Sight
Pale to medium gold; natural colour, bright and inviting, medium legs
Smell
Fruity top note complexity — bergamot, clementine, honeyed apricot, and wild cherry. Rising from a floor-malted base of nutty kilned malt, barley sugar, and almond cream. More fruit-forward than earlier editions
Sip
Bright and fruity. The citrus and stone fruit notes are more prominent than in previous editions, with bergamot and apricot leading. The floor-malted base provides earthy depth. Barley sugar and almond cream create a rich mid-palate. Medium-full body
Savor
Medium-long finish with lingering fruit, malt, and gentle spice. The third edition is the most fruit-forward of the series, showing evolution in Rachel Barrie's approach to the Malting Season concept
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Greengrocer: Citrus (bergamot, clementine), Orchard (apricot, cherry); Sweet Shop: honey, barley sugar, almond cream; Natural Foods: Nuts (almond); Bakery: Sweet (kilned malt); Garden Path (earthy barley)
BenRiach Peated Quarter Cask
NAS46% ABV35 PPM$45-60
Fully matured in quarter casks — peated malted barley
4/4 Tasting
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Sight
Pale gold with warm amber tinge; natural colour from quarter cask influence, medium legs
Smell
Elegant wood smoke intensifying to burning heather with ripe orchard fruit. Peach, cinnamon sugar, and fresh barley with a herbal note. The quarter cask higher wood-to-whisky ratio amplifies both smoke and sweetness
Sip
Rich peat character balanced by orchard fruit — green pear, nectarine. Nutty oak, vanilla pods, white pepper, and a twist of lime. The quarter cask maturation adds creaminess and intensity. Non-chill filtered at 46%
Savor
Medium finish with smoky peat embers infused with green pear and nectarine. Crisp and intriguing — the quarter cask influence creates a uniquely textured smoky finish different from standard cask expressions
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Smoke House: Peat (wood smoke, burning heather, smouldering embers); Greengrocer: Orchard (peach, pear, nectarine), Citrus (lime); Sweet Shop: vanilla, cinnamon sugar; Natural Foods: Spices (white pepper, cinnamon); Garden Path (herbal, fresh barley); Furniture Maker: Wood (oak — nutty)
BenRiach Smoke Season First Edition
NAS52.8% ABV202135 PPM$70-80
First-fill bourbon barrels and charred/toasted virgin American oak casks — 100% intensely peated Highland malt
4/4 Tasting
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Sight
Bright gold; natural colour with a warm glow from virgin oak influence, medium legs
Smell
Crisp green apple, heather honey, vanilla, lemon drizzle cake. Earthy malted cereals and sweet gentle peat smoke. The virgin oak adds toasty sweetness
Sip
Initial tang of lemon zest and crisp apple before sweetness kicks in — heather honey, golden syrup, white chocolate, and marshmallow. Smooth campfire smoke with a clean toasted/ashy profile. Creamy American oak vanilla, toffee, caramel, and candied orange. Full-bodied at cask strength
Savor
Medium-long finish with sweet smoke, caramel, and fruit. The campfire peat fades to gentle warmth. Clean and balanced — proves BenRiach's peated spirit works brilliantly at cask strength
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Smoke House: Peat (sweet campfire, toasted, ashy); Sweet Shop: honey, golden syrup, white chocolate, marshmallow, toffee, caramel, vanilla; Greengrocer: Orchard (apple), Citrus (lemon zest, candied orange); Bakery: Sweet (lemon drizzle cake); Garden Path (earthy malt)
BenRiach Smoke Season Second Edition
NAS52.8% ABV202235 PPM$70-80
First-fill bourbon barrels and charred/toasted virgin American oak casks — 100% intensely peated Highland malt
4/4 Tasting
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Sight
Glazed yellow corn; natural colour, bright with a warm golden hue, medium legs
Smell
BBQ and sweet corn, charred bits of peat. Bold and assertive smoke with underlying sweetness. More intense and savoury than the First Edition
Sip
Meat smoked on an open fire, balsam, caramel, nutmeg, clove, and ginger. Strong smoky profile without blowing out the palate. The virgin oak char adds complexity and a savoury dimension. Full-bodied
Savor
Medium-long finish with persistent BBQ smoke, spice, and caramel. More assertive and savoury than the First Edition. The charred oak influence is more prominent
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Smoke House: Peat (BBQ, open fire, charred), Campfire; Sweet Shop: caramel; Natural Foods: Spices (nutmeg, clove, ginger); Bakery: Savoury (sweet corn, balsam); Furniture Maker: Wood (charred oak)
BenRiach The Forty
40 Years43.5% ABV202335 PPM$3999-4500
Bourbon casks finished in bourbon and port casks — fully peated stock
4/4 Tasting
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Sight
Deep amber with mahogany depth; extraordinarily rich and viscous from 40 years of maturation, very slow heavy legs
Smell
Warm and inviting oak with soft hint of sea salt. Old books, chocolate-covered cherries, burnt orange, and walnut wood. Honeyed pomelo and ripe stone fruit. The 40-year peat has transformed into something spiritual and barely perceptible — more incense than smoke
Sip
Luscious orchard fruits — silky morello cherry, soft nectarine, stewed red apple, and white peach. The peat at 40 years has evolved into an ethereal warmth rather than discernible smoke. Extraordinary complexity and silkiness. The oldest peated malt ever released from a Speyside distillery
Savor
Very long, velvety finish with walnut, kumquat, and lingering stone fruit. Old leather, polished wood, and a whisper of ancient peat. Magnificent and haunting — a once-in-a-lifetime expression
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Greengrocer: Orchard (cherry, nectarine, apple, peach), Citrus (pomelo, kumquat, burnt orange); Sweet Shop: honey, chocolate; Furniture Maker: Wood (walnut, polished oak), Leather; Library: old books; Walk to Lighthouse: Sea (sea salt); Smoke House: Peat (ethereal, spiritual, barely perceptible at 40 years)
BenRiach Triple Distilled 25 Year Old
25 Years47% ABV2024$400-500
Three cask matured: bourbon, oloroso sherry, virgin oak — triple-distilled spirit
4/4 Tasting
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Sight
Autumn gold; warm and inviting with rich depth from 25 years of triple-cask maturation, slow heavy legs
Smell
Toasted sticky toffee walnuts, orange compote, and manuka honey. Cinnamon and crystallized ginger over apricot and cherry-glazed brioche. The triple distillation creates an exceptionally smooth and refined aromatic profile
Sip
Warming oak spice and fine soft leather support nectarine and oloroso sherry richness. The triple-distilled spirit is silky and elegant, with fruit-forward character enhanced by 25 years of maturation. Full-bodied yet remarkably refined
Savor
Long finish with a lingering touch of white grape. The triple distillation leaves an exceptionally clean, smooth fade. Oloroso warmth and gentle oak persist
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Sweet Shop: toffee, honey (manuka); Greengrocer: Orchard (nectarine, apricot, cherry), Citrus (orange compote), Vine (white grape); Natural Foods: Nuts (walnut); Bakery: Sweet (brioche); Natural Foods: Spices (cinnamon, crystallized ginger); Pub/Bar: Wine (oloroso sherry); Furniture Maker: Wood (oak), Leather