Benriach 2013 100 Proof Edition #69 12 yo

 

 

 

57,1° (100° Proof)

Distillery : The BenRiach - Speyside

1st Fill Oloroso Sherry Butts and Bourbon Barrels

Independent Bottling 

By Signatory Vintage

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2025

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

This is the third time that this famous Speyside distillery has been featured in the 100 Proof range launched by Signatory Vintage in January 2024, and it’s the first time I’ve tasted a sample from it. It’s actually a distillery I’m quite fond of, but I’ve never had the chance to try it before. Here, we have a blend of first-fill Oloroso sherry butts and bourbon barrels, so I’m hoping there’ll be a lovely balance.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Pleasant woodiness, prunes, shiitake mushrooms, cigar box. Cream of chestnut soup, walnut cake, dates and figs. Cooked vegetables, a hint of red berries, molasses and soft caramel, varnish. A slight meaty smokiness. It's very spicy on the palate, cumin, horseradish, fresh fruit, olive oil, chocolate and coffee, lychees, a drizzle of vanilla. A very violent finish, quite long, charred and oaky, green apples, cut hay, succulent leaves, solvent, macerated bark, vines, brown sugar. Very slight bitterness.

 

In Short, 

The nose and finish are good, but once again, the influence of the cask is too strong and detracts from the quality of the palate, which is too spicy. Once again, this is no doubt a flaw that will mellow with time, but I still find it a shame. I’m still giving it a fairly good mark, however, as it has other qualities and a lovely power that make up for some of the flaws, but on the palate, it isn’t quite good enough to make it worth buying, in my view. 

Score : 86

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                    To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                                  Nueve Tuercas - Caleidoscopio

Benriach 1991 Exceptional Casks

 

 

 

48,3°

Distillery : The BenRiach - Speyside 

Hogshead 

Independent Bottling 

By Berry Bros. & Rudd

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2023

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

This range from Berry Bros. & Rudd is aptly named, as it comprises nothing but truly timeless bottlings. Here is a BenRiach aged for at least 31 years, matured in a simple hogshead, yielding just 254 bottles.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

A very subtle nose, though it lacks that certain something to be truly captivating, candied apples and pears, marzipan, pancakes drizzled with maple syrup, delicate wax, discreet woody notes, cooked bananas, liquid honey. Chasselas grapes, cut hay, rustic grains. On the palate, it is a little light, but very nuanced, creamy vanilla, melt-in-the-mouth fudge, praline chocolates, dried apricots, apple compote dusted with cinnamon, argan oil, cardamom, nutmeg, clove. A very long, well-structured finish, grainy, peppery, woody, raisins, a thicker waxiness, pine splinters, melted butter. 

 

In Short, 

I found it hard to get my head around it. The nose seemed very well crafted to me, but it lacked that touch of magic that makes you dream. On the palate, it’s very good but a tad light. The finish, on the other hand, is superb, almost endless, not too strong, and spicy. Overall, it’s an excellent whisky, but at this age, I was expecting something truly mind-blowing, and that’s not the case. The price is enough to give you cold sweats. 

Score : 89

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                           DeVotchKa - Give Me Something to Believe

Benriach 2005 Connoisseurs Choice Cask Strength 17 yo

 

 

 

58,4°

Distillery : The BenRiach - Speyside

Refill American Hogshead 

Independent Bottling 

By Gordon & MacPhail

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2023

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated 

 

 

 

This BenRiach was aged for 17 years in a single Hogshead, almost certainly Bourbon, and only 207 bottles came out of the cask. They went on sale a little later, around the autumn of 2024.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Rice cushion, vanilla cloud, egg yolk, lemon zest. Liquid honey, crushed almonds, bananas, then various fruits, pears, apples, peaches, all very ripe. It's slightly creamy, but also milky. Small acid sweets. On the palate, we're moving more towards white fruit, mirabelle plums, Chasselas grapes, white peaches. But also cereals, cracked wheat, malted hints, and a touch of chocolate. Pleasant spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger. Woody, fleecy finish, almond paste, mahogany leaves, chestnuts, essential oils.

 

In Short, 

A delicate BenRiach, more or less ethereal, but with quite a lot of fruit. I found it very pleasant, but with a slight lack of expressiveness on the palate. The price seems affordable, so fans of the profile can go for it.

Score : 89

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Charlie Parr - Cheap Wine

Benriach 1985 Malts of Scotland

 

 

 

44°

Distillery : The BenRiach - Speyside

Bourbon Barrel 

Independent Bottling 

By Malts of Scotland

Limited Edition

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2021

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

The Warehouse Diamonds range from Malts of Scotland, the German bottler founded in 2005 by Thomas Ewers, brings together their finest casks, the ones everyone is always envious of. Here, a BenRiach at least 35 years old, aged in a single Bourbon cask to allow the distillate to express itself. Only 167 bottles were put on sale.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It :  

A deluge of fruit, especially tropical, banana, papaya, melon, pan-fried grapefruit, yellow fruit in which the cereals seem to have melted, intense pulp. Enchanting floral notes, geranium, bougainvillea, it's like tasting pollen. It's also quite salty, with semi-salted butter, just enough to make your mouth water. All this in sparkling balance, with pastry cream and vergeoise. On the palate, the citrus fruits become intense, tangerines, lime, blood orange, custard and vanilla beans. The spices are barely noticeable. On the finish, fruit pie, kiwi, kumquat, small tart apples and a pinch of salt.

 

In Short, 

An absolutely marvellous nose, an epiphany of exotic fruit and tropical citrus. It's also quite salty, but it all comes together beautifully. As the alcohol content is low, the finish is not up to the rest, but this is still the best BenRiach, and the best Malts of Scotland I've tasted, by a long way. The price is very high, but at this level, you don't count.

Score : 91

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

                                           Marina Viotti - In Darkness Let Me Dwell

BenRiach 1994 Cask Edition 28 yo c. 8127

 

 

 

53,6°

Distillery : The BenRiach - Speyside

Virgin Oak Hogshead 

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2022

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Still part of the Collection New Vibrations, this 28-year-old virgin cask has been selected by La Maison du Whisky for an exclusive sale in France. 274 bottles were offered for sale. Virgin casks are fairly rare in the whisky world, especially at this age, so this bottling piqued my curiosity. The whisky is described as peaty, with an unspecified ppm level, which is difficult to assess.

Let's Taste It : 

The nose is full-bodied and very fruity, with citrus, lemon, pineapple, grapefruit, and white fruits, mirabelles, plums, bananas, followed by earthy and smoky hints, dark chocolate and soot, delicate woodiness, forest touches, lichen and vegetal moss, damp bark. Quite malty on the palate, with hints of tobacco, vanilla, lemon. Some meatiness, but also herbaceous. Deep spices, ginger, nutmeg. Long, unctuous finish, with notes of honey and molasses. Melting milk chocolate, cinnamon, paprika, earth and tobacco.

In Short, 

I'm not a big fan of virgin casks, which generally give a bitterness that's not at all to my taste, but this is not the case here. On the contrary, it's fruity and delicate, and the influence of the wood is very discreet, making way for a superb, refined, racy distillate. It's extremely well crafted. The peat is not particularly remarkable. I'd recommend buying it if it weren't so expensive.

Score : 89

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Gregg Molnar - Recovery Blues

BenRiach 1997 Cask Edition Rum Barrel 25 yo c. 7779

 

 

 

54,1°

Distillery : The Benriach - Speyside

Rum Barrel

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2023

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated

Among the ten or so expressions released this year in the Cask Edition range, La Maison du Whisky has selected this one to be sold exclusively within its walls as part of the Collection New Vibrations. Only 196 bottles come from this single cask of rum which was the matrix of it. You never know for sure with Benriach, but it is announced as being unpeated.

Let's Taste It : 

Light, evanescent nose, beautiful earth ready to be ploughed, cherries, figs, chestnuts, forest undergrowth with a few mushrooms. Then, a certain exotic freshness, hints of camphor and iodine. Intense but fairly silky on the palate, with candied pineapple, papaya and lemon, brown sugar, mirabelle plums and rather strong spices, nutmeg, cumin and black pepper. Very long finish, on white chocolate, a few tannic and bitter notes, ginger. As explosive as it gets.

In Short, 

A rum cask is bound to arouse suspicion. But here it's quite successful, the exotic fragrances don't hide too much of the distillery's profile, and are neither sour nor too sweet. This will appeal to fans of this type of profile. Personally, I find that Benriach's character doesn't go very well with rum. But my point of view is probably biased by the fact that I'm not a fan of ageing in rum casks. As for the price, I don't like it either. It's way above the usual market prices in any case.

Score : 89

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Zacharie Defaut - Mama

Benriach 1991 Artist #13 Over 30 yo

 

 

 

51,2°

Distillery : The BenRiach - Speyside

2d Fill Sherry Butt

Independent Bottling 

By La Maison du Whisky

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2023

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

Already the 13th year that we have the opportunity to discover exceptional casks thanks to the Artist Range. This year, we're dealing with a number of very old products, brought together thanks to the Taiwanese independent bottler Hua Yang, founded in 2008, which provides here its finest treasures. Among them is this BenRiach, aged for at least 31 years in a 2d fill Sherry Butt. It's an opportunity to discover the most secret sides of this distillery, which I hold so dear. 564 bottles of this nectar have been produced and sold more or less exclusively at La Maison du Whisky as part of the New Vibrations collection, stamped Spirits Shop Selection and adorned with a painting by Wang Yung Chiu entitled Moira Obscura.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

The nose is both jammy and earthy, orange and mirabelle plum jam, very fruity, rather red fruits, blueberries and cranberries, blackcurrant, but also exotic, lychees, papaya, with delicate touches of liquorice and varnished wood, orchard fruits and a few drops of lemon and vanilla. Slightly damp fertile earth, rich in vegetation, almost chocolaty. On the palate, cakes, vanilla custard, apple pie, far aux prunes, with bursts of ginger and cinnamon. The spices are light, giving way to lime blossom and verbena in the background. Very respectable finish, long and satiny, black tea, grated nutmeg, chestnuts and dark chocolate, earthy hints, heather. Nuts, butternut.

 

In Short, 

Yes, you can recognise the distillery, with its earthy, fruity, pastoral and vegetal notes. Yes, it bears its age well, it's silky and subtle, refined and very well made. Well done to all those involved in making this whisky. And yes, the price is outstanding, as expensive as you might fear. So, no, it's not for me, nor for 97% of the population.

Score : 90

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Robert Cray - I Shiver

BenRiach 1994 Cask Edition Selected by La Maison du Whisky 27 yo

 

 

 

53°

Distillery : The Benriach - Speyside

Oloroso Sherry Puncheon 

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask

Bottled in 2022

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

This 27-year-old is a real treat, released in 2022 as part of the Cask Edition range and distributed exclusively by La Maison du Whisky. The label emphasises that Rachel Barrie is the group's Master Blender, but in the case of this Single Cask, she didn't have much to blend. As usual with Benriach, there's no information on the peat content, but I'd estimate it at around 30 ppm. 660 bottles were produced.

Let's Taste It : 

Prune, date, it's quite creamy, on a background of soot and crushed chestnuts. Oak leaves. Vegetal moss. Quince jam. The peat is thick, vegetal, coaly. Beautiful fullness. The Sherry blends very well, raisins, damp leather. Very light red fruits. Which stand out on the palate, with the earth, peat and soot relegated to the background. Mastered spices, paprika, nutmeg, cumin. Tree bark, a bit charred. Fairly long finish, lacking a little explosiveness, carbonated, chalky, earthy, caramelised. Molasses, chestnut cream. Genoise.

In Short, 

Probably the best Benriach I've drunk so far. Perfect balance between Sherry and peat, syrupy just as it should be, with the distillery's beautiful hallmarks intact. The price isn't that high for a 27 year old, you'll have to rummage around to find a reasonable site.

Score :90

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Jack Broadbent - On the Road Again

BenRiach 2012 Malting Season First Edition

 

 

 

48,7°

Distillery : The BenRiach - Speyside

1st Fill Bourbon and Virgin Oak Casks 

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2021

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

In 1999, the distillery closed its malting area, which had operated continuously for 101 years, even when no whisky was being produced. It was a regrettable decision, but one that Billy Walker overturned when he took over the distillery. He reopened it in 2012. The barley is now malted at Benriach twice a year, in May and December, known as the Malting Seasons. This bottling is the first to use only barley malted on site, so the whisky was distilled in 2012 and then poured into 23 virgin oak and first-fill bourbon casks. Bottled in June 2021, it is therefore around 8 years old, although this is not mentioned on the bottle. A total of 6672 bottles have been poured. The barley used is Concerto, one of the most renowned.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

The first impression is of virgin casks, dry wood, whitewashed earth, with a hint of vaporous smoke. Then the fruits rise and it's a pleasant, dynamic Bourbon, mirabelle plums on a layer of creamy vanilla, with a pinch of salt. But there are also cereals, barley and wheat on a sunny day, and roasted almonds. The whole is very pleasant. The palate follows in the same friendly footsteps, with honey, stracciatella ice cream, plums, juicy pears. It's mellow, fairly smooth and well-balanced. Some spices, cumin, nutmeg, cinnamon. Quite a long finish, peppery, sandy, cola, white grapes.

 

In Short, 

For me, it's a success. It's both smooth and deep, a beautiful expression that highlights the capabilities of this typical malting area. But I've seen the prices, and it's a joke? It's well made, but it's only eight years old, and it's reduced. Let's calm down.

Score : 86

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :  

                                           Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - Up from Below

Line Up #11 : The Peated BenRiach

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.

 

 

                                           The distillery's four stills
 

 

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.

                                            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 warehouses
 

 

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.

 

 

BenRiach 2009 Cask Edition Port Pipe 12 yo c. 4834

 

 

 

59,8°

Distillery : The BenRiach - Speyside

Port Pipe

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2021

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

 

 

 

Among the half-dozen bottlings released in 2021 in the Cask Edition series (also known as Single Cask Bottling), no fewer than 4 have been aged in a single Port Pipe cask. With the same age, the same year of distillation, the same maturation and almost the same alcohol content, it would be a good idea to compare the four. This one was produced in 766 bottles.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Amarena and morello cherries, damsons, iodised charcoal. Quite deep. The peat mingles very nicely with all this. A very oily, earthy peat. Roots, tubers. Steamed potatoes. Bewitching smoke. Prunes, cereals, dried fruits. On the palate, blackberries, gooseberries, then spices, pepper, cumin. Woody, noble wood in humid weather. Muscat grapes, blueberries. Quite long finish, powerful without being explosive. Liquorice, lignite, cherry tree. Black tea.

 

In Short, 

The port casks go very well with the smoke. There's fruit, well-developed oak and a smoky, peaty depth. The whole is a success, without blowing me away. The price is a little borderline, but why not trying? Just for a comparison with the Laphroaig Brodir.

Score : 88

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                          To Be Listened While Sipping :

  

                                           Envy of None - Look Inside

The BenRiach 2007 Cask Bottling Peated Oloroso Sherry Butt 10 yo c. 3071

 

 

 

58,3°

Distillery : The BenRiach - Speyside

Oloroso Sherry Butt

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2018

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

 

 

 

Still among the 17 expressions in Batch 15 of the Single Cask Bottlings released in 2018, this one was aged for 10 years in a single Oloroso cask, and 628 bottles were sold. I mention the cask number because two other casks were distilled in the same year and aged in Oloroso, but they were bottled in 2017 for the first, and in 2019 for the second.

Let's Taste It : 

Right away, the full breadth of Oloroso. Wet leather, young tree bark, a hint of iodine, pine honey, dried lavender, cashew nuts, hazelnuts. Cereals, sun-dried wheat, barley, a few stalks of hay. With the addition of water, it becomes a little sweeter, with hints of cake and warm chestnuts. Very woody on the palate, with lingering notes of dried fruits, walnuts and apricots. Spices, cumin, nutmeg, pepper. Black radish. Truffles in the earth, mahogany, cinnamon. Bitter wood. Very long finish, green tea, roots. Chocolate, tobacco, dry biscuit.

 

In Short, 

Once again, the Oloroso gives the product depth without distorting it, which is sometimes the case with Pedro Ximénez. There's something very earthy and farmy about it, while at the same time being sweet and fruity. It's quite a success and I'd recommend buying it if you can find a bottle.

Score : 89

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           à déguster en écoutant :

  

                                           Jefferson Starship - White Rabbit

The BenRiach 2007 Cask Bottling Peated Rum Cask 11 yo

 

 

 

59,5°

Distillery : The BenRiach - Speyside 

Rum Barrel

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2018

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Among the no fewer than 17 expressions on offer in Batch 15 of the Single Cask Bottlings, this one is aged in a single rum cask, and has produced 151 bottles. To my knowledge, this is the first time a rum cask has been used in the Single Cask Bottlings (and also the last), but this type of maturation has often been used by BenRiach in the Wood Finish Series, a limited edition range that was produced between 2006 and 2017.

Let's Taste It : 

Spring peat, floral, with young wood, and of course the influence of rum barrels, cane sugar, vanilla, bamboo. Fresh iodine, damp earth, a few barely dug-up vegetables. Liquid honey, fresh milk. On the palate, like a vanilla custard at first, whipped cream, then the spices come out, quite strong, pepper, cumin. Juniper, violets. The finish is long and powerful, but a little harsh, woody, coaly, slightly citrusy, lemon and grapefruit. Crushed hazelnuts.

 

In Short, 

There was something wrong with the sample, which clearly smelt of petrol. But by airing it out and cutting it with water, I was able to rediscover the qualities of the beverage, which gradually overcame the unpleasant smell. I wasn't expecting much, as rum casks aren't my favourite, I have to admit that it was worse than expected. Still, the finish is very good, if a little aggressive, and the rum brings a certain freshness that goes well with the distillery's woodland profile.

Score : 86

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                          To Be Listened While Sipping :

  

                                          Agnes Obel - The Curse

BenRiach 2007 Cask Edition Pedro Ximénez Puncheon 13 yo

 

 

 

56,2°

Distillery : The BenRiach - Speyside

Pedro Ximénez Puncheon 

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2020

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

 

 

 

After a profusion of Single Cask bottlings of all kinds these last few years, it seems that the distillery has calmed down a little, proposing 'only' 7 different Cask Edition for 2021. One of these has been aged for 13 years in a Pedro Ximénez Puncheon cask, and 664 copies have been produced. Curiously, it is reserved for the French market. Good, there will be more for us.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Very soft, very tender sherry, with that lovely sweetness typical of Pedro Ximénez. It works every time. Leather, caramel, quinces, dried grapes, chestnuts. Light peat in the background, rather rough, rustic. A little earthy, coaly. Asphalt, or rather cement, a bit of glue. Beetroot, eggplant. Very syrupy, liquorish palate, banana, then genoise, pastry cream, spices, cumin, paprika, nutmeg, saffron. Coal in the background. Still a slightly earthy and vegetable taste, with roots. Slightly vinous too. The finish is very long, racy and quite multi-faceted, with wood, but also caramel, cooked fruits, ploughed earth, brown coal. Smoked ham, a good slice of speck. With lingonberry jam. Fruit cake.

 

In Short, 

An excellent product, my favourite I've tasted so far from BenRiach, but I have to admit that I have a weakness for PX ageing, when it's done well, and that's the case here. The sherry influence is important, but doesn't close the door on the distillery's hallmarks, which makes for a nice marriage. The peat is fairly light and doesn't spoil anything, on the contrary. It is still easy to find, at a rather excessive price, but it is a Single Cask after all.

Score : 89

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                          To Be Listened While Sipping  :

  

                                          Sigur Ros - Olsen Olsen

The BenRiach 2008 Cask Bottling Peated Port Cask 9 yo c. 2048

 

 

 

61,7°

Distillery : The BenRiach - Speyside

Port Pipe

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2018

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

 

 

 

In 2004, the distillery launched its first batch of Single Cask Bottling, at the time 4 bottlings with different maturities, all in Single Cask. 15 years later, Batch 15 offers 17 different expressions. And all in Single Cask, please. The youngest of these 17 variations is this one, a peated 9-year-old aged in Port. 858 bottles have been released. I've only written Cask Bottling in the title because, for Batch 15, that's what it says on the bottle. I would have liked to know the peat content, especially as it seems to be quite high.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Right away, the sweetness of the Port, smooth as silk, fruity with damsons and black fruits. Coal, thick smoke, a forest fire in the distance. It goes well with the distillery's woodland profile, vegetables still beaded with earth, pumpkin, courgette, eggplant. Rhubarb. The Port is a little syrupy and woody. Gooseberries and cranberries. Amarena. The peat is quite grimy, earthy, with quicklime and mould. Asphalt, tarmac, tyre tracks on tarmac. On the palate, it's liqueur, very round, wrapped in plum and blueberry, then the spices gradually rise until they become quite strong, paprika, cumin, saffron, the peat comes behind, pretty powerful, damp, vegetal, mucky. Dutch black tobacco jokes, clearing the throat. Old wood. Very long finish, lignite, humus, deep earth, bitter roots. A cocoa bean. A hint of liquorice.

 

In Short, 

Whatever people may say, at BenRiach they don't play around with peat. Nothing to do with those so-called peaty expressions that remain very soft at 18 ppm. This bottling has nothing to envy of those from Islay with the highest peat concentration, but it reminds me more of the more rural Ledaig. The peat is nicely smoky and earthy, and enhances the fruity port and the distillery's more discreet hallmarks. This is very good work. You can still find a few bottles at a good price if you look around, frankly you wouldn't be wasting your money.

Score : 89

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                          To Be Listened While Sipping :

  

                                          Calexico - Stray

BenRiach Smoke Season First Edition

 

 

 

52,8°

Distillery : The BenRiach - Speyside

1st Fill Ex-Bourbon and American Virgin Oak Casks

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2021

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Peated around 45 ppm

Released in early 2021, this ageless whisky is here to defend a certain idea of peat. Made entirely from peated barley, cask strength, without chill filtration, this is arguably one of the rare Speyside Peat Bombs. From what I've read, the whisky is 8 to 10 years old, and with a double maturation, you can estimate that it is more or less refined. This is a limited edition, and we can expect a new batch each year.

Let's Taste It : 

Right from the start, the nose is full of country peat, sweet, earthy and vegetal. Hay, dry straw, even a little manure, all mingling with a very pleasant vanilla, candy sugar, candied rhubarb, genoise, dried banana and mirabelle plum. On the palate, it's more lemon pulp, a dash of salt and spices, pepper, cumin and ginger. Brown sugar in the background. Finally, a strong, well-managed finish, charcoal and humus, loose earth, fertiliser, cereals, some dried fruits.

In Short, 

It's very pleasant, very robust without being a slap in the face, there's a bit of subtlety, it's fruity and pleasant too, easy to drink. That said, I found it a bit monochromatic, very bourbony, it's slightly below the Smoky Twelve which I found much more complex and deep. So, not sure I'd recommend buying it even though it's good.

Score : 86

                                          To Be Listened While Sipping :

  

                                          Earthside - Crater

BenRiach The Twenty One 21 yo

 

 

 

46°

Distillery : The BenRiach - Speyside

Bourbon, Virgin American Oak, Pedro Ximénez Sherry and Bordeaux Wine Casks

Original Bottling 

Core Range 

Single Malt 

Launched in 2021

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Peated around 40 ppm

 

 

 

Launched after the new 10 and 12 year olds of the previous year, the 21, 25 and 30 year olds follow the same principle, even more complex, with quadruple maturation, an alcohol level of 46°, the same design and, above all, the expertise of Master Blender Rachel Barrie. The barley is highly peated, at 40 ppm or more, but after more than 20 years of maturation, the effects are barely noticeable. In fact, the distillery had already released the same 21-year-old in 2017, with the same quadruple maturation, but without peat.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

On the nose, rich red wine and fruits that melt under the tongue, blueberries, gooseberries, blackcurrants, mirabelles and damsons. Behind, light farm peat that gives thickness and body to the whole. Humus, roots, it's earthy, stony. Fresh winter breeze. Quite sweet on the palate, genoise, icing sugar, pastry cream, then the spices rise, very tasty, paprika, turmeric, nutmeg, ginger, cumin. The finish is also excellent, very deep, on charcoal and fresh earth, but also fruits, prickly pear, lemon zest, lychee.

 

In Short, 

I have to admit that I had a very pleasant time in the company of this fine work. The peat is very light, but it's really fruity, balanced and, above all, original. Quite a success. Unfortunately, the price makes me cringe a bit, so I don't know if I'd really want to buy it. It's probably best reserved for enthusiasts.

Score : 89

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                          To Be Listened While Sipping :

  

                                          The Claypool Lennon Delirium - Southbound Pachyderm