Benriach The Sixteen Scotch Whisky
Benriach The Sixteen Scotch Whisky is the Speyside distillery's 16-year-old core expression — an unpeated single malt, three-cask matured for at least sixteen years in bourbon barrels, sherry casks and virgin oak casks, bottled at 43% ABV (86 proof) in 750mL. It returned to the core range in February 2023 with a reformulated recipe, bridging the 12 and the 21 in the modern Benriach lineup. Non-chill-filtered and natural cask-imparted colour throughout. It's available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 43% (86 proof)
- Size: 750mL (US bottling)
- Age: 16 years — three-cask matured (bourbon barrels, sherry casks, virgin oak casks)
- Style: unpeated (classic style), non-chill-filtered, natural colour
- Distillery: Benriach, Speyside, Scotland — Brown-Forman since 2016; bespoke virgin oak from the company's own Kentucky and Alabama cooperages
- Positioning: relaunched February 2023 — the reformulated successor to the original 16 (introduced 2005, retired 2016)
Sixteen Years, Three Casks, One Speyside Classic
Benriach has always been the blender's distillery — its unpeated spirit takes wood beautifully — and The Sixteen is the three-wood argument in a bottle. Bourbon barrels bring the honeyed malt, sherry casks the stewed fruit, and virgin oak — from bespoke barrels raised in Brown-Forman's own cooperages — the spice and structure. The official notes read baked apple and creamy hazelnut malt with ginger-spiced apricot and honey on the nose; spiced stewed apple, stone fruit and mellow nutty oak with honeyed malt and candied peel on the palate. Explore more scotch and whisky, or browse the Benriach collection at Del Mesa.
Tasting Notes
Per the official brand copy: colour — bronze. Nose — baked apple and creamy hazelnut malt with overtones of ginger-spiced apricot and honey. Palate — spiced stewed apple, stone fruit and mellow nutty oak, with honeyed malt and candied peel.
How to Enjoy
Neat in a tulip glass — at 43% it's an easy evening pour. A drop of water opens the orchard-fruit notes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Benriach The Sixteen peated?
No — it's the unpeated, classic-style expression. The peated 16-year-old is the separate "Smoky 16."
What casks are used?
Three: bourbon barrels, sherry casks and virgin oak casks — including bespoke virgin-oak barrels from Brown-Forman's own cooperages.
When was it released?
The reformulated The Sixteen returned to the core range in February 2023, succeeding the original 16-year-old (retired 2016).
What is the ABV?
43% ABV (86 proof).
A three-cask Speyside at its sweet spot — order Benriach The Sixteen online from Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.