Benriach has long occupied a curious position in Speyside — a distillery that refuses to be pinned down by regional expectation. While its neighbours busy themselves with the sherried elegance and honeyed malts that define the heartland, Benriach has consistently reached for something broader. Smoke Season is perhaps the boldest expression of that restless streak: a peated Speyside single malt bottled at a commanding 52.8% ABV, without age statement, and carrying a name that announces its intentions without apology.
I should say upfront that I have a deep appreciation for distilleries willing to challenge the orthodoxy of their region. Speyside and peat are not natural bedfellows in most drinkers' minds — that territory belongs to Islay, to Campbeltown, to the wilder reaches of the Highlands. But Benriach has been quietly producing peated spirit for decades, and Smoke Season represents a focused, commercially available window into that lesser-known side of their character. At this price point, it is a genuinely compelling proposition for anyone curious about what peat looks like when filtered through a Speyside sensibility.
What to Expect
Without confirmed tasting notes from the distillery, I will speak to the style rather than prescribe specific flavours. This is a whisky built around contrast. The NAS designation suggests a vatting of different ages, chosen for flavour profile rather than a number on the label — a practice I have no quarrel with when the result justifies the approach. At 52.8%, this is bottled at what feels close to natural strength, which means you are getting the spirit with minimal compromise. Expect the smoke to sit alongside the distillery's natural fruitiness rather than bulldozing it. This is not Islay-style maritime peat; it is something gentler, more integrated, more likely to surprise you with sweetness where you expected ash.
The cask-strength bottling is significant. It gives the drinker control — you can take it as it comes and feel the full weight of the spirit, or add water gradually and watch the layers open. I would strongly encourage the latter, at least on your second pour. Whiskies at this strength often reveal their best qualities with a few drops of water, and I suspect Smoke Season is no exception.
The Verdict
At £50.95, Smoke Season sits in a competitive bracket, but it more than earns its place. You are getting cask-strength Speyside peat — a combination that remains genuinely unusual on the shelf — for the price of many standard-strength malts. It is not trying to be an Islay substitute; it is doing something different, and doing it with confidence. I give this a 7.5 out of 10. It is a well-made, distinctive whisky that rewards curiosity, and it represents real value for what it offers. My only reservation is the NAS designation, which will always leave me wanting a little more transparency — but the liquid speaks clearly enough on its own terms.
Best Served
Pour it neat first, let it breathe for five minutes, then add a small splash of room-temperature water. At 52.8%, it genuinely benefits from a little dilution — the smoke softens and the underlying malt character comes forward. A classic approach for a whisky that deserves your attention rather than a mixer. If you are feeling adventurous, this would also make a remarkably good Highball with quality soda water, where the peat and effervescence play off each other rather well.
