BenRiach The Original Ten 10 years old Single Speyside Malt Whisky 43%

If a distillery may send only one bottle out into the world, this is it. The Original Ten is the BenRiach signature written down, and everything else in the range relates to it in one way or another.

The expert's description

BenRiach The Original Ten 10 years is a Single Speyside Malt Whisky matured in bourbon casks, sherry casks and virgin oak and bottled at 43 %.

Three cask types is unusual for an entry bottle. The bourbon wood gives vanilla and bright fruit, the sherry adds sweetness and depth, and virgin oak lays spice and structure on top. The composition was created by Master Blender Rachel Barrie as part of the range overhaul that followed the Brown-Forman takeover.

There is a subtle suggestion of smoke in the whisky. BenRiach produces both unpeated and peated spirit, and a small share of the peated finds its way into the core bottling of the house without turning it into a smoky whisky.

Tasting notes

Nose

Fresh fruit, honey and toasted oak with a summer golden lightness.

Palate

Ripe pear, nectarine and a fine malty sweetness. The casks work together rather than fighting for room.

Finish

Almond and lightly spiced vanilla with small notes of smoke at the end.

Specifications

Name: BenRiach The Original Ten 10 år
Distillery: BenRiach
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Single Speyside Malt Whisky
Age: 10 years
ABV: 43 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon casks, sherry casks and virgin oak
Edition: The Original Ten 10 år
EAN no.: 5060399680547

Flavour profile

Fruity · Honeyed · Malty · Lightly spiced · Hint of smoke

Did you know?

BenRiach lay closed from 1900 to 1965 and was in that period all but forgotten by the whisky world. Today the core bottling is called The Original Ten, precisely because the distillery regards it as the starting point after the restart.

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Frequently asked questions about BenRiach The Original Ten 10 år

Is it peated?

Only slightly. There is a small share of peated spirit in the composition, giving a touch of smoke in the finish, but the whisky belongs at the unpeated end.

Why three cask types in an entry bottle?

Because each covers its own ground. Bourbon gives vanilla and bright fruit, sherry gives sweetness and depth, and virgin oak gives spice. Together the profile turns broader than a single cask type could offer.

Is it a good place to start with Speyside?

Yes. Forty-three per cent, no sharp edges and a clear fruit and honey profile make it easy to approach, and it shows the house signature without being complicated.

What is virgin oak?

Fresh oak that has never held anything before. It gives quickly and forcefully with vanilla and spice, and it is typically used as a smaller part of a cask composition.

How does it differ from The Twelve?

The Twelve is predominantly sherry matured and has two more years in cask, which gives more dark fruit and a heavier body. The Original Ten is brighter, fresher and fruitier.

Does it need water?

Not necessarily. At 43 per cent it is already open. Pour it into a whisky glass at room temperature and let it stand a couple of minutes before tasting.