The weekend that passed was wet, the garden drenched, the roof bearing more than its fair share of blown away leaves and my three year old cavoodle trotting home with muddied feet and a trail of paws from the door to our living room. Western Australia had been visited by cyclone Narelle along its coast, and though parts had bourne much of the brunt, we were fortunate to face only a few harsh winds and two days of rain that wasn’t as bad as expected. A situation when we were happy the METs got it wrong!

So while nature gave us an orchestra with the hustle of leaves, the sound of droplets as it hit against our roof and the white noise as rain fell against the blades of grass, I was enjoying this re-jigged version of the Benriach 12 – The Lunar New Year Edition, The Year of the Horse!

The box comes in lovely shades of red, divine yet dreamy clouds, with golden strokes that makes up the horse. The packaging is lush and regal, resonating both calm and exuberance. This Speyside whisky is  concocted by master blender, Rachel Barrie, blended from whisky matured in three casks : ex-bourbon barrels, sherry and port casks for the minimum 12 years. The 2026 release isn’t very different from the OG twelve, in terms of both maturation and the flavour profile; except of course for the outer casing.

ABV : 46%

Eye : Very Burnished | Natural Colouring | Chill Filtered

Nose : Caramel with a woody char, coffee and dried fruits. There’s some tropical notes, layered with butterscotch biscuits, a touch of cloves, with a sprinkle of pepper and a hint of brine.

Taste : Vanilla drizzled over charred melons, heaps of dried fruits, cherry and some orange zest. There are mild nuances of cinnamon, spice and chai.

Finish : Medium to Long | Caramel with spiced notes and dried fruits

The whisky is velvety on the palate, smooth and well balanced. There’s a little bit of everything all mixed in, giving your taste buds just enough to keep them on their toes. The flavours are comforting, the sweetness restrained yet welcoming, and the spice whispering its presence towards the end. Good breadth, fair complexity and an experience that makes this whisky hard to forget.

At AUD $110 this is fair value, nonsensical and straightforward. Apt for anyone on the whisky scale –  newbie, enthusiastic or the connoisseur, and will pleasantly surprise most. I find this a great replacement and possibly an upgrade for those who cuddle the base Fiddich and Livet 12s and about time too!

Slainte!