Benriach : 16 Year "The Sixteen"

Characteristics and Tasting Notes for the 16 Years Old "The Sixteen" by Benriach

Tasting Notes

Color
Bronze in hue, it reveals a medium amber tone reflecting sixteen years of cask maturation, entirely free from artificial coloring.

Nose
The aromatic bouquet opens with notes of baked apple and creamy hazelnut malt, elevated by nuances of ginger-spiced apricot and honey. Subtle hints of cereal and orchard fruit can also be detected.

Palate
The texture is wonderfully smooth, rich, unctuous and viscous. The palate unfolds with flavors of spiced stewed apple, stone fruit and soft oak with hazelnut accents, accompanied by honeyed malt and candied peel. The medium-length finish drifts toward more savory, cereal notes, with a very light touch of bitterness that lingers alongside the stewed fruit without ever becoming austere.

Other Characteristics
This Single Malt is crafted in the distillery's classic unpeated style. It is bottled at 43% alcohol by volume, non-chill filtered, and retains its natural color derived solely from its cask aging.

A rich, fruity and wonderfully complex Speyside Single Malt

Benriach: Innovation and tradition at the heart of Speyside
Founded in 1898 by John Duff, Benriach distillery is an iconic name in Scotch Whisky, located in the prestigious Speyside region. After an early closure in 1900, it survived thanks to its traditional malting floors before reopening in 1965. Today, the distillery stands out for its unique approach to production. Its production setup, comprising four stills, allows for the creation of three distinct styles of spirit (unpeated, peated and triple-distilled). Under the expert guidance of Master Blender Rachel Barrie, Benriach draws its mineral-rich water from an underground aquifer and follows an unusual four-water mashing process. This philosophy combines deep respect for industrial heritage with constant innovation in the eclectic selection of casks sourced from around the world.

The meticulous crafting of the 16 Years Old "The Sixteen"
The 16 Years Old "The Sixteen" stands as a major expression in the distillery's range, bridging the gap between younger bottlings and the most prestigious cuvées. This exceptional Whisky is crafted from malted barley and an unpeated spirit, the result of a slow, deliberate distillation designed to maximize the production of fruity esters. The fundamental smoothness of this Single Malt stems from the distillery's signature four-water mashing method, which creates a wash particularly geared toward orchard fruit character.

The blend behind this expression rests on a complex sixteen-year maturation, drawing on three distinct types of casks. Ex-bourbon casks provide a base of vanilla and fruit, ex-sherry casks lend richness, dried fruit notes and deep color, while virgin oak casks introduce a spicy structure and nutty caramel aromas. These three wood influences are then skillfully married to create a perfect harmony.

Widely praised by critics, this product notably won the title of Best Speyside Single Malt at the World Whisky Awards in 2015, as well as a gold medal at the TAG Global Spirits Awards in 2025, confirming its status as an essential benchmark.