Speyside distillery Benriach has released the third edition of its single malt made entirely from barley malted at its floor maltings.
The third Malting Season whisky was made from concerto barley, chosen by master blender Dr Rachel Barrie.
The spirit was matured in virgin oak and first-fill Bourbon casks, before being bottled at 48.3% ABV.
The inaugural edition of Benriach Malting Season was released in August 2021 and was described as the first bottling of its kind from the Brown-Forman-owned distillery in a century.
It was followed by the second edition in May 2022.
Benriach said it is one of only eight distilleries in Scotland that continues to carry out the ‘century-old tradition’ of using handcrafted malt from the floor maltings.
Stewart Buchanan, global brand ambassador at Benriach, said: “Every year during ‘Maltings Season’ our team hand malt select barley onsite. 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 the pursuit of exceptional flavour.
“Each new addition of Malting Season uses carefully chosen barley types and individual bottling strengths, making each annual edition one of a kind in its own right.
“Malting Season Third Edition has malt sweetness on the nose with wild bergamot, pear and meadowsweet honey. The palate leads to a burst of clementine, floral honey and gentle barley spice, followed by flavours of apricot, malted almond and traces of wild cherry.”
Benriach Malting Season Third Edition will be available in select global markets from August, priced at RRP £110 (US$140).