🥃 BenRiach The Twelve
The unpeated twelve-year-old expression from BenRiach: sherry, bourbon and port casks, 46% ABV, natural colour; renewed in 2020.
BenRiach The Twelve is a twelve-year-old unpeated expression from the BenRiach distillery in Speyside; in the press of 2020 it also appeared as the Original Twelve. It is a single malt Scotch whisky at 46% ABV, aged for at least twelve years. The distillery rates its smoke level as nil and describes its profile as richly sherried.
The whisky matures in three cask types: ex-sherry, ex-bourbon and ex-port, and the batches are then combined. According to Whisky Advocate, in 2020 this expression replaced the previous twelve-year-old BenRiach and got a new flavour profile. The colour is natural, from the cask. The distillery mentions maple honey and cocoa on the nose, and cherry, roasted orange and hazelnut on the palate.
Why it matters to you. It differs from BenRiach The Original Ten by age, higher strength and a more pronounced sherry character, and from BenRiach The Smoky Twelve by the absence of peat. When comparing the unpeated expressions of the brand, check the age and cask types on the label. The WHO reminds us that no level of alcohol consumption is safe.
Facts
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 46% ABV |
|---|---|
| Minimum maturation | at least 12 years |
| Cask type | ex-sherry, ex-bourbon, ex-port |
| Raw material | barley malt, unpeated |
| EU category | 2 — whisky/whiskey |
| Legal basis | Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2890) (Single Malt Scotch Whisky) |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 BenRiach The Twelve → affects → 🍷 Alcohol and health ← affects ← 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Packed in
- 🍷 Sherry, 🍷 Port, 🥃 Ex-bourbon barrel
- Made from
- 🥃 Barley and malt in whisky
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🥃 BenRiach, 🥃 Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 🥃 Speyside whisky
- Similar and different
- 🥃 BenRiach The Original Ten, 🥃 BenRiach The Original Ten, 🥃 BenRiach The Smoky Twelve, 🥃 BenRiach The Smoky Twelve
Frequently asked questions
Are The Twelve and the Original Twelve different whiskies?
No. The distillery website calls the expression The Twelve, while in the 2020 press it also appeared as the Original Twelve.
Which casks is BenRiach The Twelve matured in?
Ex-sherry, ex-bourbon and ex-port casks; the main profile is sherried.
Is there smoke in BenRiach The Twelve?
No, the distillery rates its smoke level as nil. The peated expression of the same age is The Smoky Twelve.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Port — A fortified wine from the Douro valley: 19–22 % alcohol; grape spirit stops the fermentation.
- 🥃 Barley and malt in whisky — Malted barley is the base of whisky: malt enzymes convert starch in the mash, and EU whisky is distilled below 94.8% vol.
- 🍷 Drunk driving — Never drive after drinking wine: alcohol slows your reactions.
- 🥃 Ex-bourbon barrel — American white oak cask of 180–200 litres used for bourbon: bourbon may only be aged in new charred casks, so used ones go to Scotch, Irish whiskey and rum.
Similar
🥃 BenRiach The Smoky Ten · 🥃 BenRiach The Original Ten · 🥃 BenRiach The Smoky Twelve · 🥃 Cragganmore 12 Year Old · 🥃 Benromach 15 Year Old · 🥃 Benromach 21 Year Old
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- Benriach Distillery: The Twelve (46 %; sherry, bourbon, port casks; at least 12 years; smoke level nil; natural colour)
- Benriach Distillery: Core range (The Original Ten, The Smoky Ten, The Twelve, The Smoky Twelve, The Sixteen, The Twenty One …)
- The Spirits Business: Benriach unveils new core whisky range and redesign (10.09.2020; Original Ten 43 %, The Twelve 46 %, Smoky Ten 46 %, Smoky Twelve 46 %; casks; smoky season)
- Whisky Advocate: Benriach Gets A New Look—And New Whiskies (10.09.2020; Original Ten replaces 10 year old; Smoky Ten replaces 10 year old Curiositas; Smoky Twelve entirely new)
- The Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2890), reg. 3: definition and categories of Scotch Whisky (Scotland, oak up to 700 l, min. 3 years, min. 40 % ABV)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)