Benriach – 10 Year Old The Smoky Ten (70cl, 46%)

Benriach The Smoky Ten is a 10-year-old Speyside single malt, bottled at 46% in a 70cl bottle. Peated and unpeated distillates mature for at least ten years in bourbon barrels, former Jamaican rum casks and toasted virgin oak, then are married together. It is a vatting of differently matured whiskies, not three successive maturations. Fruity sweetness and pronounced smoke define the character, alongside toasted oak spice. The whisky is non-chill-filtered, and its pale gold colour comes only from the casks. The nose has syrupy ripe orchard fruit, smoky honey sweetness and oak spice. On the palate come smoked apple wood, honey, maple syrup and spiced pear. Fruity notes and smoked oak linger in the finish.