Cadenhead’s Dufftown-Glenlivet 16yo Authentic Collection January 2025 & Cadenhead’s Benriach-Glenlivet 12yo Authentic Collection January 2025

Cadenhead’s Dufftown-Glenlivet 16yo Authentic Collection January 2025

Region: Speyside

ABV: 54.0%

Price: £75.00

Distilled in 2008 and matured in a bourbon barrel, this whisky was bottled in January 2025. A total of 234 bottles were released.  

Nose

Initially a little tight, the nose opens with notes of pear, green apple, thyme, and a hint of light pepper, making it somewhat one-dimensional at first. With time, additional notes of yellow Chartreuse, caster sugar, melon, vanilla bonbons, whipped cream, and Edinburgh Castle Rock emerge. The alcohol is well-balanced, resulting in a pleasant, albeit somewhat simple, nose. 

Palate

On the palate, sweetness takes the lead with notes of golden syrup and sugar syrup. There’s minimal spice, just a touch of pepper. Additional flavours include a hint of lime, subtle dark chocolate, pineapple, and blood orange. The mouthfeel is good, and the medium-length finish sees the sweetness lingering longer than the other notes. It’s very easy to drink given the ABV. 

Nose (with water)

With water, the nose remains relatively similar to its pre-dilution state. However, with patience, additional notes emerge, including rice crackers, more of that thyme note, a hint of dry earth, more whipped cream, strawberry Angel Delight, s’mores, and white candy sticks. 

Palate (with water)

The palate with water remains largely unchanged, still dominated by sweet notes, though the bitterness from the dark chocolate has slightly diminished. The mouthfeel is still good, and the medium-length finish remains intact, just now with a subtle touch of sweet chilli spice at the end. 

Conclusion

The mid-teens maturation has smoothed out the rougher edges typically found in younger Speysiders. However, it’s a shame that it hasn’t developed much complexity despite its time in the cask. That said, it remains a tasty and easy-drinking whisky.

Score: 7/10

Value

£75 for a 16-year-old release seems like a pretty good deal to us. 

Cadenhead’s Benriach-Glenlivet 12yo Authentic Collection January 2025

Region: Speyside

ABV: 58.6%

Price: £60.00

Distilled in 2012 and transferred to an Amontillado cask in 2022, this whisky was bottled in January 2025. A total of 282 bottles were released.  

Nose

The nose on this one is initially a little tight, but with patience, it reveals notes of sherry trifle, dry wood, hay, Hershey’s chocolate, strawberries, orange bitters, beef granules, and red cola. The alcohol integration is good, and we’re getting minimal spice on the nose. Overall, it’s good, but a touch simple when all things are considered. 

Palate

The palate opens with notes of Fanta, golden syrup, and lemonade, followed by a hint of burnt caramelised brown sugar and a pepper spice, though one that’s not overpowering. The mouthfeel is good, and the medium-length finish is predominantly sweet. With time in the glass, additional flavours of cherry, citrus, Christmas cake, and chocolate coins emerge. 

Nose (with water)

With water, the nose reveals more sherry influence, and now we’d have guessed it was an Oloroso cask finish and not an Amontillado. As we nose it we start to detect a hint of fresh mint, along with beef olives and garam masala. As it sits in the glass, we’re finding the sweeter notes gradually fade into the background.

Palate (with water)

The palate with water remains mostly the same as before dilution. There’s a slight increase in intensity of the sweeter notes, but the mouthfeel and finish remain largely unchanged. 

Conclusion

We’d recommend a splash of water, as the sherry notes are quite subtle on the nose before dilution. This is a well-executed sherry finish, but it lacks the complexity to stand out among similar releases. That said, it’s easy drinking even without water—pleasant, but nothing particularly special.

Score: 6.5/10

Value

We may be starting to sound like a broken record, but this is yet another good value release from Cadenhead’s.

• 10 - Perfection. One in a million
• 9 - Outstanding. Exceptional whisky.
• 8 - Great. Would seek this out.
• 7 - Good. Quality whisky.
• 6 - Above average. Happy to have a dram.
• 5 - Average. Drinkable whisky.
• 4 - Below average. Passable.
• 3 - Flawed. Noticeable negatives.
• 2 - Defective. Significant faults.
• 1 - Offensive. Pour it out.

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