Benriach The Smoky Twelve 12 Year Old Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

BenRiach The Smoky Twelve 12 Year Old Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky keeps that peated-and-unpeated marriage and changes the third wood. Aged at least 12 years in bourbon barrels, sherry casks, and Marsala wine casks, then married, it is 92 proof, with color from the casks. Marsala, a fortified wine from Sicily, turns the smoke toward baked orange, brown sugar, and dark chocolate, which is the difference from the rum-and-maple Smoky Ten. Whisky Advocate scored it 94 and ranked it No. 3 on the Top 20 of 2020.

The distillery nose is smoked vanilla, charred orange, and toasted almond. The palate is dark chocolate, fruit peel, brown sugar, and smoked oak, closing on cocoa and orange smoke. Susannah Skiver Barton, for Whisky Advocate, found apple, pound cake, treacle, and almond nougat setting up sweet smoke, Golden Delicious apple, cinnamon, and hot cocoa, with grilled apple and tobacco on a silky finish. Wine Enthusiast tasted toffee and cocoa with dried cranberry and tart lemon peel, and black pepper once the peat opened up.