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 (700ml) ($99.99)
“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) ($99.99)

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 opera next weekend. You don’t have stop liking Guns N’ Roses because you love ballet. This is bold, unabashed Benriach with 12 years in sherry butts, bottled at cask strength without chillfiltration 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 price of admission. We must thank Alistair Hart and his good reputation for getting us backstage passes to this event. Bottled without coloring or chillfiltration at a cask strength of 58.2% ABV.

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: June 01, 2022

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 this excellent Speysider, one of the few to operate its own malt floors in Scotland, are single casks. So we bought three of them. Having three different casks allows us to really begin to understand quintessential character of Benriach, which is a distillery that’s hard to pin down in the first place, the diversity of its offerings being one of its most prominent features. This sherry butt will be the most appealing to many, thanks to the continued obsession by most malt lovers with dark sherry casks. Let’s have a taste! The color is a beautiful tawny. A nice dark one here! I let it rest for ten 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, sarsaparilla, 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 and rich, savory nuttiness. 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! While the sister distillery sold out in a flash, this humble cask of Benriach remains one of the very best casks in the shop, but it will only take a few people to realize how special this is for it to disappear like the ‘Dronach we had.