In 1898, John Duff built the Speyside Distillery, BenRiach. It is one of the few distilleries with its own on-site floor malting and draws its water from the Burnside Springs. 

Benriach is one of only seven distilleries in Scotland that continues to produce a whisky from 100 per cent malted barley, carrying on a centuries-old tradition. In the case of Malting Season 2, it carries the legacy started by Benriach Malting Season 1 that first launched in 2021, and is crafted from concerto barley, chosen by Master Blender Rachel Barrie for its wholesome cereal flavour.

Smoky whiskies are not traditionally associated with Speyside, but look back through its distilleries’ archives and it’s clear that heavily peated single malts were the preferred palate of the region back in the 19th century. Both intensely smoked and exquisitely sweet, the special edition has been two-cask matured in both American virgin oak and bourbon barrels - wood types intentionally selected to amplify the toasted sweet notes in Benriach’s smoky spirit.

Celebrating the time of year where peated spirit runs through Benriach stills, a tradition revived by the distillery over 50 years ago, Smoke Season is a small batch release which captures one of Benriach’s time-honoured production techniques. Both intensely smoked and exquisitely sweet, the special edition has been two-cask matured in both American virgin oak and bourbon barrels - wood types intentionally selected to amplify the toasted sweet notes in Benriach’s smoky spirit. With a new recipe finely tuned by Master Blender Dr. Rachel Barrie, this expression is the most intensely smoked whisky to be released by the distillery.

Caramel smoke, oak spice and citrus peel lead on the nose followed by flavours of smoked dark vanilla, seared apple and cinnamon on the palate with lingering charred orange into a sweet and smoky finish.

The Finer Details
Style - Scotch Whisky
Country - Scotland
Region - Speyside
Bottle Size - 700ml
ABV - 52.8%