BenRiach 12 YO Sherry Wood

BenRiach 12 YO Sherry Wood, 46 %

We spent our summer holiday in Japan. At our hotel in Kyoto there was a nice selection of whiskies in the bar. We managed to taste a few of them during our stay.

One evening we tasted a couple of BenRiachs. One of them was BenRiach 12 YO Sherry Wood which is matured in Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez Sherry Butts.

The whisky is available in Norway at NOK 505,10 (item number 9189401) and in Sweden at SEK 459,- (item number 481).

Nose (21/25): I was met by the smell of a really dry sherry. A gentle, discrete sweetness came along after a while. There were different kinds of berries, oak, orange zest and pineapple (!).

Taste (21/25): Sherry, sweet and caramel. Full and rich. Really sweet, quite the opposite to the nose.

Finish (20/25): Some burnt caramel in the end and the sweetness disappeared. Quite dry and the taste of oak ended the experience.

Balance (21/25): There was a lot of sherry all the way. By the smell I would not have guessed maturation in Oloroso and PX casks, but a more dry sherry. The taste gave away the cask maturation though.

Score (83/100)

I am sorry about the very dark picture, but no flash was allowed in the bar.

- Tone