Benriach Releases ‘One-Of-a-Kind’ Scotch Made Using Rare, Century-Old Tradition

Benriach released its latest edition of Malting Season (Photo: Benriach)

On Tuesday, Benriach unveiled the third edition of its single malt made from the distillery’s floor maltings. The Speyside scotch brand claims it was one of eight that practices this multi-century-spanning tradition of using this type of malt, the Herald reported Monday.

This latest edition was made from concerto barley, which was chosen by Master Blender Dr. Rachel Barrie. According to the Edinburgh Whisky Academy, Concerto was a hugely popular strain of barley a few years back. Although the industry has recently shifted its attention away from the species, Barrie chose to work with it in the third edition of Malting Season.

“Every year during ‘Malting Season’ our team hand selects malted barley on site. This historic process pays tribute to our founder — John Duff — and the slow craft of his historic maltings which we continue to this day in pursuit of exceptional flavor,” Stewart Buchanan, global brand ambassador at Benriach, said, according to the Herald.

The expression matured in virgin oak and first-fill bourbon casks prior to being bottled at 48.3% ABV. Benriach released its first Malting Season expression in August 2021. The malt was chosen by Barrie, who still is in charge of selecting the barley for each edition and bottling strength.

“Each new addition of Malting Season uses carefully chosen barley types and individual bottling strengths, making each annual edition a one of a kind in its own right,” Buchanan concluded.

According to Whisky Foundation, floor malting is a process during whisky making that dates back to the third century A.D. The grain is steeped in water, which activates its sugars and is put on a smooth concrete floor where it is left to germinate. Over a four-to-five-day period, grains produce sugar, which can be fermented. The grains must be turned by hand to avoid growing roots every eight hours. Once the barley has germinated, it is brought over to a kiln to stop the process.

The third release of Malting Season is available in limited international markets starting August and has a suggested retail price of $140.

Benriach Malting Season Third Edition Tasting Notes, Via the brand

Nose: Wild bergamot, pear, meadowsweet honey.

Taste: Clementine, floral honey, gentle barley spice.

Finish: Apricot, malted almond, wild cherry.

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