BenRiach Malting Season 2013/2022 Second Edition Single Speyside Malt Scotch Whisky 48,9%

The barley is spread across a stone floor, turned by shovel over several days and dried above the kiln. That is the slow way to malt, and it survives at only a handful of Scottish distilleries. Here the entire bottle is made from it.

The expert's description

BenRiach Malting Season Second Edition 2013/2022 is a Single Speyside Malt Scotch Whisky matured in 1st fill bourbon casks and bottled at 48.9 %.

Malting Season is the distillery range made purely from barley malted on the house floor maltings. BenRiach is one of very few Scottish distilleries to have kept the facility, and it is only used in limited periods each year, which sets a natural ceiling on how much whisky the range can yield.

The second edition was distilled in 2013 and bottled in 2022 after nine years in first fill bourbon wood. The fresh American oak gives vanilla and pale sugar, and because the malt was floor malted the cereal character stands out more clearly than in the other bottlings from the distillery.

Tasting notes

Nose

Fresh barley, vanilla and pale sugar with a note of hay and baked bread.

Palate

Malty and creamy with honey, coconut and a touch of citrus. The cereal character takes up more room than in the other expressions from the distillery.

Finish

Long and dry with malt, vanilla and a lightly spiced close.

Specifications

Name: BenRiach Malting Season Second Edition 2013/2022
Distillery: BenRiach
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Single Speyside Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 9 years
ABV: 48,9 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: 1st fill bourbon casks
Distilled: 2013
Bottled: 2022
Edition: Malting Season Second Edition
EAN no.: 5060716143229

Flavour profile

Malty · Vanilla · Creamy · Honeyed · Dry

Investment potential

High. The range is limited by how much barley the distillery can malt on its own floors, and each edition is made only once. Floor malted whiskies are a small category in Scotch whisky and hold a steady audience among collectors.

Did you know?

The floor maltings at BenRiach stood idle from 1999 and were brought back into use in 2013. Malting Season Second Edition is made from barley from that very restart, which makes the 2013 vintage the starting point of the range.

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Frequently asked questions about BenRiach Malting Season Second Edition

What is floor malting?

The traditional method where barley is spread in a thin layer on a stone floor and turned with a shovel or rake over several days as it germinates. Most distilleries today buy finished malt from large maltings.

Why does floor malted whisky taste different?

Because the process is slower and less uniform than industrial malting. It typically gives a clearer cereal character and a slightly more rustic profile, where commercial malt is more neutral.

What separates the First and Second Edition?

The vintage and the casks. The First Edition was the opening release in the range, while the Second Edition was distilled in 2013 and matured nine years in first fill bourbon wood. Each edition is made only once.

Is it peated?

No. The malt was dried without peat, so the profile is clean malt, vanilla and honey with no smoky notes.

Why is the range limited?

Because the distillery floor maltings can only handle a limited quantity of barley and are only used in defined periods. The amount of whisky that malt can produce sets the ceiling for the range.

How is it best drunk?

Neat in a whisky glass at room temperature. At 48.9 per cent it is full enough to stand alone, and a couple of drops of water can pull the cereal character further forward if you want to explore it.