A Thrilling Speyside Exclusive Cask from the Coveted BenRiach
2009 BenRiach 12 Year Old “Hart Brothers Finest Collection” K&L Exclusive Cask Strength Single Sherry Butt Unchillfiltered Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky 
“This distillery has been absolutely on fire recently … No one will be disappointed with this exceptional cask. It’s fabulous!” — David Othenin-Girard, K&L Spirits Buyer

As our Exclusive Cask program hums right along, the spirits team has just taken in another incredible haul from one of the most compelling and in-demand Speyside distilleries in operation today. Our long-time single malt fanatics have caught on to the utterly thrilling whiskies coming out of BenRiach, and word of the genius of master blender Rachel Barrie is reaching all corners of the Scotch world. So, imagine our out-and-out joy when we secured three individual 12-year-old casks from this dynamic powerhouse through our connections with the ever-amazing Hart Brothers Finest Collection. We’re firm believers that you can never have enough BenRiach on hand, and three casks in one swoop is a good place to start. On offer today is the 12 Year Old Sherry Butt, a monumental jaw-dropper that brings all the punch and power that sherry cask fanatics’ crave. Buyer David Othenin-Girard describes a truly multifaceted stunner in his review below, and all for a sub-$100 price. Even with the kaleidoscopic complexity from the aging vessel taking center stage, the now-famous, robust BenRiach malt still manages to make its presence known in a full-throttle style. This is the single cask we’ve all been waiting for, and now is the time to get a hold of it.

2009 Benriach 12 Year Old “Hart Brothers Finest Collection” K&L Exclusive Cask Strength Single Sherry Butt Unchillfiltered Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml) (Pre-Arrival) ($99.99) *Pre-arrival item is expected to be available for shipment or pickup in summer 2022.

K&L Notes: Benriach is quickly becoming one of the most attractive names in Scotch. They’ve won some huge awards, particularly for their slightly smoky 12 Year Old expression designed by the illustrious Rachel Barrie. Rachel is extremely adept at developing products that offer nuance and complexity, while not compromising on flavor. What we don’t see much out of most distilleries these days are LOUD whiskies—ones that step up and shout at you. And while we don’t always want to be screamed at, it’s impossible to deny the thrilling feeling of getting packed into a sweaty club and having a heavy metal band blow your socks off. It’s ok to enjoy it and still want to go to the symphony next weekend. You don’t have stop liking Guns N’ Roses because you love Tchaikovsky. This is bold, unabashed Benriach with 12 years in Sherry butts, bottled at cask strength without chill-filtration or coloring. It might not be as punk rock as Ardbeg, but it’s still pretty cool. Most importantly it’s absolutely delicious and totally worth the door fee. We must thank Alistair Hart and his good reputation for getting us backstage passes to this event.

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Spirits Buyer | Review Date: December 02, 2021

It’s a Sherry Butt from BenRiach! This distillery has been absolutely on fire recently thanks to master blender Rachel Barrie and all these awards. But the thing that people really want from the excellent Speysider, one of the few to operate its own malt floors in Scotland, are single casks. So we bought 3 of them, not including the one the distillery lost in transit. Having three different casks to offer captures the quintessential essence of BenRiach in my opinion, which is a distillery that’s hard to pin down in the first place, so why not highlight its diversity. This sherry butt will be the most appealing on paper, thanks to the continued obsession with sherry casks. Let’s have a taste! The color is a vibrant tawny. A nice, dark one here! I let it rest for 10 minutes before first nosing. OMG, the nose has that perfect oloroso spice and nutty richness. Immediately we get old saddle leather, the darkest cacao, stewed red fruit, and candied citrus. On the palate, liquified Christmas pudding, sweet and richly spiced. Big notes of cola, sarsparilla, shoe polish, red currants, and a slight flinty character (not quite gunpowder). This absolutely loves water as well, which softens the savory leathery nose and opens the jammy red fruit. The bold ‘Riach malt still manages to poke through the rich wine and wood flavors. Tasting these three casks in succession is a truly eye-opening experience. No one will be disappointed with this exceptional cask. It’s fabulous!