5 March 2022.
A bit of history (those who are familiar with it can skip this part)
In the beginning, the BenRiach distillery was just a malting area. Named Longmorn 2, it supplied malted barley to neighbouring distilleries such as Longmorn and Glen Elgin.
Then, in 1898, it became a real distillery, founded by John Duff. But not for long, as it closed in 1900 for a very long time. It returned to its malting activities until 1965.
That year, it was bought by Glenlivet Distillers Ltd. It was completely reorganised and refurbished. Production resumed, but at that time only to supply blends.
The situation gradually changed. In 1983, peated BenRiach began to be produced, to compensate for the lack of stock on Islay, where two of the main distilleries were closing (Port Ellen and Ardbeg). In 1984, production doubled with the addition of two new stills. In 1985, the malting floors were closed after more than a hundred years of activity.
Then, in 1898, it became a real distillery, founded by John Duff. But not for long, as it closed in 1900 for a very long time. It returned to its malting activities until 1965.
That year, it was bought by Glenlivet Distillers Ltd. It was completely reorganised and refurbished. Production resumed, but at that time only to supply blends.
The situation gradually changed. In 1983, peated BenRiach began to be produced, to compensate for the lack of stock on Islay, where two of the main distilleries were closing (Port Ellen and Ardbeg). In 1984, production doubled with the addition of two new stills. In 1985, the malting floors were closed after more than a hundred years of activity.
Finally, in 1994, the first single malt from the BenRiach distillery, aged 10 years, was offered to the public.
Over the years, the distillery has had a succession of owners. First Glenlivet, then Seagram, and finally Pernod-Ricard, who stopped production in 2002. And it was Billy Walker who gave the distillery its real identity and a fresh start, after buying it in 2004. He created the BenRiach Distillery Company group, with which he would later acquire GlenDronach and Glenglassaugh, and in the same year he developed a range that would make BenRiach a major Speyside distillery. In 2012, he even brought the malting floors back into use.
Over the years, the distillery has had a succession of owners. First Glenlivet, then Seagram, and finally Pernod-Ricard, who stopped production in 2002. And it was Billy Walker who gave the distillery its real identity and a fresh start, after buying it in 2004. He created the BenRiach Distillery Company group, with which he would later acquire GlenDronach and Glenglassaugh, and in the same year he developed a range that would make BenRiach a major Speyside distillery. In 2012, he even brought the malting floors back into use.
The malting area
In 2016, BenRiach Distillery Company was bought by Brown-Foreman, who planned to revamp the brand. The following year, Rachel Barrie was hired as Master Blender, and after a long period of work, she finally presented the new range in 2020. It was a success, and since then BenRiach has become a benchmark among Speyside distilleries.
The Line Up Project
I think BenRiach is one of those distilleries with a strong identity. It's quite easy to recognise with its vegetable profile, made up of potatoes, butternut and pumpkin, and at the same time quite smooth, typical of Speyside. And as I'm a big fan of peat, I'm particularly interested in its peated products. Normally peat and Speyside don't go well together, but here the peat enhances the distillery's palette. That's why I thought it would be interesting to devote a Line Up to peated BenRiach. First the regular range, then a few Single Cask Bottlings, which they've been releasing in profusion for the last fifteen years or so. Is there really a Speyside peat, and if so, what makes it so special? How does it differ from Islay peat? Is BenRiach the distillery that best embodies it? These are just some of the questions I wanted to answer, in a completely subjective way of course.
The Tasting
BenRiach The Smoky Ten :A fine balance between the peat and the influence of Bourbon and Rum, but it does sway a little at times. The peat elbows its way out. Pleasant vanilla freshness after a while. Nice palate, quite suave, lemon and icing sugar, some spices. Mirabelle plum. Quite long and powerful finish, barley sugar, rose water. Score: 85
BenRiach The Smoky Twelve :A tiny raspberry that melts on the tongue. Discreet, bewitching smoke. In the background, the distillery's hallmarks, still earthy hay, barn. Radishes. A pinch of iodised salt. Cherries, gooseberries. All the way to the bottom, a charcoal depth. A very successful palate, dominated by vanilla, but with an enticing, vinous edge. Spices, of course. Warm and friendly. Quite a long finish, still fruity, grenadine, blackberries. Powdered hazelnut. Score: 87
BenRiach 2007 Cask Edition Pedro Ximénez Puncheon :A nose where the PX is very recognisable, heady, sweet, with dried fruits, caramel and marrons glacés. With a fine woody fullness. A hint of charcoal and earth behind. Vegetables, spices, a real ratatouille. Candied peppers. On the palate, syrupy, even thick, cherry, banana, gooseberry, with mahogany, some dried fruits. Very fine finish, wood, charcoal, caramel, but also sweet. Score: 89
The BenRiach 2007 Cask Bottling Oeated Oloroso Sherry Butt :The Oloroso shows great breadth from the outset, with dried fruits, very woody, leather, caramel, routine, but it's also very iodised, and in the background, it's earthy, with chestnuts, quince compote, or else pumpkin, butternut. The palate is closer to mahogany and hazelnut, with a sweet flavour of biscuit and yoghurt cake. Spices. Very long and powerful finish, a little fruitier, plums, green apples. Score: 89
The BenRiach 2007 Cask Bottling Peated Rum Cask :Hints of spring, wood and flowers, with cane sugar, vanilla and genoise. Light peat here too. Less successful on the palate, but still rustic and vanilla-flavoured, with fairly strong spices and telluric peat. Very long finish, with bamboo, exotic fruits, fresh milk and rosewater. Score: 86
BenRiach 2009 Cask Edition Port Pipe :The influence of the Port casks can be felt, and blends very well with the earthy, coal-like peat. It's fruity, but at the same time deep, rocky and a little pastoral. Good fullness, but not quite complex. On the palate, pleasant, sweet, tasty, red plums, gooseberries, slight acidity. Humus. Winey hints. The finish is quite long and pleasant, carving a furrow in the black, rocky soil. Woody too. Score: 88
The BenRiach 2008 Cask Bottling Peated Port Cask :The first whiff is of peat, and of a landscape of hedged farmland that I really like. The port casks are much more discreet than in the previous bottling, which is perfect. There's a freshness, and at the same time it's very fruity. A very fine combination. On the palate, syrupy, woody, spicy, with plums and blueberries. Lovely finish, very long, dizzying, on charcoal and clay. Score: 89
What I gain from it
- First of all, yes, peat enhances BenRiach's palette. It's a rustic, woodland, earthy distillery, with a hint of iodine no doubt caused by the use of highly calcareous water. The peat adds a charred nuance and intensity to the earthiness. With the country character, we find the humidity of the forest, a smoky haze that enriches the flavours. Finally, fruits are not left out at all, and the hint of iodine stands out a little. This gives it its own identity, with a more varied palette of touches. It's as if the peat deepens the BenRiach profile.
- So, of course, peat has something to contribute to Speyside. Speyside is a fairly green, fertile region, comparable to Normandy in France. Whisky will draw earthy, cereal and delicately fruity flavours from it. At BenRiach, we add a vegetable flavour that is typical of this distillery. But it's clear that a sufficiently fine and subtle peat can deepen this profile.
- Speyside peat can't be Islands or Islay peat. It has to be less strong, so as not to disturb the subtlety of its light flavours. Gone is the medicinal touch, gone is the ashtray, the open fire and its buckets of soot. Gone are the iodine and heady marine scents. Speyside peat should be as light and nuanced as the whiskies produced there. Slightly coal-coloured, with a damp, evanescent smoke, not at all overpowering, but foresty.
- That's why I think we can talk about a typical Speyside peat, and it seems to me that BenRiach embodies it best. The Speyside distilleries I know that use peat do not always do so with the same success. Balvenie, for example, I don't think the peat adds anything to their profile. On the other hand, I find that Benromach makes good peated whiskies, but not as good as BenRiach's Single Cask Bottlings, and their peat is less typical, closer to the profile of the Highlands.
View of the warehouses
Conclusion
I think BenRiach can be congratulated for bringing peat to Speyside, and not as a selling point, not as a new gimmick. It's something that enriches the distillery and enriches the Speyside region. The new bottlings created by Rachel Barrie are very successful in this regard. While Smoky Ten is no more than an honest starter offering good value for money, Smoky Twelve is very good. And the Single Cask Bottlings, which have been around for around fifteen years, are sometimes outstanding, although a little expensive for my taste. I can only encourage the distillery to continue to use peat in their production, without it being exclusive, of course - there must be something for everyone.
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