Whisky: BenRiach 12 Year (2009) Cask 13467 for K&L

Country/Region: Scotland/Speyside

ABV: 57.2%

Cask: Rye Barrel

Age:12 Years (Distilled 12 Mar. 2009, Bottled 2021)

Nose: Earth smoke, clay, orange peel, tangerine candies, pipe tobacco, smoldering pine, caramelized squash, dried grass.

Palate: Medium-bodied, spicy, sweet, earthy, lemon, orange, pine, wet clay, burning herbs, black pepper, kakimochi, earth.

Finish: Long and earthy with kakimochi and toasted sesame.

Score: 6

Mental Image: Pottery Studio Snack Cabinet

Narrative & Notes: The aroma brought to mind smoke wafting from earthen ovens, a pottery studio, and smoldering pine wood. The earthiness verged on a musty farm animal quality but was pulled back by charred orange peel, tangerine candies, and vanilla cream soda. Pipe tobacco, toasted herbs, caramelized squash, and dried grass arrived with more time. Medium-bodied, the flavor profile was spicy, sweet, and earthy. Lemon and orange peel popped first, with sweet burning pine, resin, and wet clay waiting to be shaped. Burning herbal rosemary and sage joined with tingling citrus and black pepper. Toasted rice crackers, kakimochi, lingered at the end with a dry earthiness. The finish was long and earthy, with subtle kakimochi and sesame.

I enjoyed the earthy quality, especially its prominence on the nose; though it was subtle on the palate it reappeared stronger on the finish. The earthiness reminded me of Benromach as it paired with grass and herbal notes that frequently leaned in the direction of pipe tobacco or cigar box. I remained uncertain how the rye cask influenced the malt beyond perhaps the spice and herbal elements, as everything else felt pretty standard for BenRiach. I rarely reach for rye whisky beyond the occasional cocktail, so I may have missed some of the cask-driven aspects of this malt.

Overall, an earthy and enjoyable malt with a refreshing citrus at the fore. I wish more of the rich earthiness of the nose took center stage on the palate and that the body were a bit heavier, though the finish was impressively long.