BENRIACH MASTER BLENDER DR. RACHEL BARRIE INDUCTED AS A ‘KEEPER OF THE QUAICH’
September 9, 2020
Benriach Distillery, located in north Speyside, has revealed a distinctive flavour-forward portfolio of Single Malts and a new look inspired by the distillery’s creative heritage.
Known for its long-standing tradition of distilling classic, peated and triple distilled whisky and a vast eclectic cask inventory sourced from around the world, the portfolio has been artistically crafted by Master Blender Dr. Rachel Barrie and her team. Displaying the diversity and versatility of Benriach’s orchard fruit-laden style, this new range spans the full spectrum of whisky flavour.
The new packaging takes inspiration from the first Benriach Single Malt released over two decades ago, with the portfolio’s colour palette inspired by Speyside’s natural environment in which the distillery sits.
Benriach Master Blender, Dr Rachel Barrie said:
“The new range perfectly marries tradition and innovation that is central to Benriach’s story. Inspired by the 1994 bottling of the Original Ten, with its fruit-laden complexity and smooth, rounded taste, the new range re-imagines the 1898 origins of Benriach, brought to life in the 21st century through fusing distilling styles with extraordinary casks.
“In the new Original Ten, a more richly flavoured, rounded malt character might be discerned, whilst The Twelve balances richly sherried malt with added layers of fruit complexity, reaching a pinnacle at twelve years old. The new Smoky Ten and Smoky Twelve explore the sweet smokiness of Benriach, enriched through innovative combinations of rum, virgin oak and marsala casks interwoven with more traditional bourbon and sherry.
“The new Benriach range is for those open to new possibilities, building on a wealth of experience and tradition. I invite the drinker to join me on this creative journey, as we explore the rich rewards of Single Malt whisky.”
In addition to Benriach The Original Ten, the Core Range will feature a new recipe for Benriach’s richly sherried twelve year old whisky, including port and bourbon casks interwoven for seamless smooth complexity.
The extraordinarily sweet smoky whisky distilled in the distillery’s smoke season features in the new Smoky Ten and Smoky Twelve Year Old expressions. Both have their own flavour palette, created by maturing in bespoke oak casks, interwoven with Benriach’s hallmark sweet smoke.
A premium selection of Twenty One, Twenty Five and Thirty Year Old Single Malts brings an extremely rare opportunity to discover the exquisite integration of flavour resulting from decades of maturation. Matured in a diverse selection of highly distinctive oak casks, and interwoven with complex layers of refined and mellow smoke, each aged expression has been meticulously composed for aromatic finesse, sumptuous richness, and deep mellow maturity.
As one of just two distilleries in Speyside still to practice traditional floor malting on site, a new small batch and limited edition ‘Malting Season’ expression will celebrate this time-honoured practice. Benriach’s seasonal peated spirit production will also be captured in a new ‘Smoke Season’ bottling, which explores the full intensity of Benriach’s fruit-forward smoky spirit, amplified through bespoke cask selection.
Benriach will also continue its legacy of capturing unique moments in time through its Cask Edition Programme, and will continue to offer a travel retail collection featuring the Triple Distilled aged 10 years, as well as Quarter Cask and Smoky Quarter Cask expressions.
Over 120 years since it was established, Benriach is also expected to unveil its first official visitor centre to the public later this year, allowing visitors from around the world to explore this Speyside whisky gem.
The new Benriach range will become available in global markets gradually from September 2020.
