BenRiach 11-year-old SMWS 12.51

Category - Single Malt

Distillery - BenRiach

Bottler - The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS)

Bottling series - Bittersweet Symphony

Vintage - 29.09.2009

Bottled - 2021

Stated Age - 11 years

Cask Type - 1st fill ex-bourbon barrel

Cask number - 12.51

Number of bottles - 191

Strength - 58.4 %

Size - 700 ml

BenRiach 2009 SMWS 12.51 “Bittersweet Symphony” – 11 Years Old

Single Malt Scotch Whisky – Speyside, Scotland

ABV: 58.4% (Cask Strength)

Cask: 1st‑Fill Ex‑Bourbon Barrel

Bottles: 191

Style: Bright, fruity, vanilla‑rich Speyside with crisp oak and youthful energy

Appearance - Pale gold with a bright, lemon‑straw shimmer — classic 1st‑fill bourbon vibrancy.

Nose - Citrus, apple, vanilla . Fresh citrus — lemon zest, grapefruit pith, orange blossom. Crisp orchard fruit — green apple, pear skin. Vanilla pod, sweet cream, and light honey. New‑oak brightness: toasted staves, coconut shavings. A faint herbal edge: mint leaf, meadow grass. Clean, bright, and very “BenRiach in bourbon.”

Palate - The review mentions “some standing alcohol… vanilla and the fruits that flattered the nose” . Developed into full texture:Vanilla cream, sweet malt, and lemon curd. Apple compote, pear drops, and citrus oils. A youthful bourbon‑barrel punch: oak spice, coconut, white pepper

A touch of grapefruit bitterness balancing the sweetness. Energetic, slightly hot, but full of bright fruit. A lively, modern Speyside profile with plenty of cask‑strength sparkle.

Finish - “vanilla and some wood” .Vanilla, toasted oak, and citrus peel. Medium length, gently drying, with a final echo of apple and spice

A fresh, citrus‑bright BenRiach driven by 1st‑fill bourbon sweetness. Vanilla, apple, and lemon ride over crisp oak and youthful heat. Clean, modern, and very drinkable at cask strength.

A bright, bourbon‑driven BenRiach bursting with citrus, apple, vanilla, and crisp oak spice. Fresh, fruity, and energetic at 58.4% — a lively Speyside “Bittersweet Symphony.”