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BenRiach
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BenRiach is a Speyside distillery
located
between Rothes and Elgin in North-East Scotland. It was founded
in 1898 by John Duff and was taken over by Seagrams in 1975 who
became part of Pernod Ricard in 2001.
Then they duly mothballed it in 2002,
saying that the current stocks would be sufficient for future
demand.
In 2004 Billy Walker, along with two others bought the
distillery and created a privately owned company called The
BenRiach Distillery Co. Ltd. |
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BenRiach
has four traditional pot stills, each with a
capacity of 9-15,000 litres and the total distillery capacity is
just under 3 million litres of pure
alcohol per year. The distillery also
has its own maltings on site.
General whisky characteristics: Fruity, floral and some
butterscotch |
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Distillery
bottlings |
(OB) |
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BenRiach,
10y,
43% ABV
Original cost of
this bottle; €€€€€
(70cl not mini) |
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Glass:
Spiegelau
Colour:
Pale yellow
Nose:
Delicate honey with floral undertones.
Palate:
Immense flora
waltzing across the whole palate, slightly dry with occasional
nuts and even a touch of blackberry.
Finish: Long, slightly
dry nuttiness.
Overall Impression:
An
enjoyable experience.
I
revisited this whisky a few days later but using the Classic
Malts glass;
Nose; Floral
undertones are still present, but the honey element is now more
of a slightly bitter one, perhaps akin to straw and wet leaves. No change in the
palate, finish or my overall impression. Still an
enjoyable dram.
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BenRiach,
12y,
46% ABV
Matured in Sherry
Wood
Original cost of
this bottle; €€€€€
Reviewed as part of
MMA 2011 |
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Glass:
Classic Malt
Colour:
Rich amber
Nose:
An
initial burst of oaky traditional wax furniture polish, then
turning more fruity with suggestions of black cherries and
creamy mango. All finished off with hints of Brasso.
Palate:
Lots
of dark fruits with figs, currants and black cherries with a
very creamy mouth-feel albeit slightly dry. Is there a hint of
custard on those fruits? Perhaps even some almond?
Finish:
Long rich and slightly dry.
Overall Impression:
A most
enjoyable whisky and good value for money.
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BenRiach,
20y,
43% ABV
Original cost of
this bottle; €€€€€
(70cl not mini) |
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Glass:
Spiegelau
Colour:
Gentle gold
Nose: Smooth
and creamy, faint leather and lavendar with just a touch of
coriander.
Palate:
Very creamy feel
with mainly dry nuts and that hint of leather. Not fierce but
really quite richly civilised, if a little dry in the finish.
Finish: Very long,
slightly dry nuttiness.
Overall Impression:
Ten years do make a
difference, but not such a big one, this is more civilised, rich
and creamy than the 10y, but most certainly a very close
relation in flavour profile. Again a thoroughly enjoyable
experience.
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BenRiach,
34y,
1976 -
July 2011, 57.8% ABV
Cask 6942, Butt,
bottle No.463 of 469
Original cost of
this bottle; €€€€€
Reviewed as part of
MMA 2011 |
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Glass:
Classic Malt
Colour:
Dark and glowing deep rich amber
Nose:
Oak
embers glowing richly at the end of a bonfire or BBQ. Very rich,
almost toasted but not quite such a 'burnt' effect. Hints of
heavily sherried biscuit and then a fruity suggestion of hot
prunes with custard.
Palate:
An
initial gentle fruitiness bursts forth to massive dark fruits.
Think mainly black cherries prunes and figs. This fruitiness has
the suggestion of being lightly cooked or warmed on a base of
biscuit.
Finish: Very long, rich,
fruity and lightly nutty. Delightful.
Overall Impression:
Wonderful whisky. A true "Great" for me!
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BenRiach,
distilled 1976,
56% ABV |
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Author's Note:
At the tasting of this whisky (in 2006) we were informed
that this will be a component of the forthcoming Benriach 30y OB
Nose:
Light and floral with spicy undertones
Palate:
Very delicate, possibly even more so than the light nose would
suggest, but containing a complex assortment of fruit and
flowers.
Finish: Medium in length
with distinct apricot
Overall Impression:
A very delicate dram for its age, but no lesser one for it. Well
worth a try.
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BenRiach,
35y,
1976 -
Oct 2011,
45.3% ABV
Cask
3010,
Hogshead, bottle No.185 of 196, for Auld Alliance Singapore
Original cost of
this bottle; €€€€€
Dram-atics "Classic" review |
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Glass:
Classic Malt
Colour:
Glowing cork
Nose:
Ooooh
very different, give me a minute or two here ... this is a 35
year old fruit bomb, quite amazing. There's an explosion of
pineapple with accompanying pink grapefruit and it's amazingly
light and delicate for its age. I even detect a little hint of
citrus now, something quite like lime, maybe even lime tree
blossom? All this fruitiness reminds me just a little of some
very fruity cough medicine from my childhood, but I assure you
that isn't a bad thing!
Palate:
Fruit
again, lots of it, now in the form of a massive fruit cocktail
comprising pineapple, banana, raspberry, peach and all topped
with creamy vanilla custard. The mouth-feel is also very creamy
but with a slight oiliness and a little underlying woodiness.
Finish:
Long, light, fruity.
Overall Impression:
Yes
it's a very different whisky, quite amazingly different with all
that fruitiness, but it's truly excellent too. I just fell in
love with a whisky!
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BenRiach,
27y,
1984 -
July 2012,
52.2% ABV
Cask
4050, Hogshead,
Tawny Port finish, bottle No.29
of
283
Original cost of
this bottle; €€€€€
Reviewed (blind) as
part of MMA 2012 |
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Glass:
Classic Malt
Colour:
Dark, very dark.
Nose: I was
initially surprised by something a little stale and almost tinny
here. Behind this comes a lovely dark fruitiness, then lightly
toasted currants and what I can only describe as gentle rubbery
ice cream.
Palate:
Wow,
nothing stale or tinny here. Very tingly (on the tongue) with
hints of aniseed. Correct that, lots of aniseed. Then really
quite fresh leading into the finish.
Finish:
Long with more of that aniseed.
Overall Impression:
After
suspecting something slightly unpleasant from the
initially tinny nose I
was delighted to find a dram that's very fresh and alive. I'm
not personally the biggest aniseed fan, but make no mistake this
is a very good whisky.
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BenRiach,
35y,
42.5% ABV
Original cost of
this bottle; €€€€€
Sample thanks to
MMA 2015 |
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Glass:
Classic Malt
Colour:
Rich dark polished oak
Nose:
Lots of suggestions of nuts, fruit (mainly dark like plums,
raisins) and woodiness. There's even a hint of creme brulée and
perhaps a hint of treacle sponge pudding too?
Palate:
All
the nuttiness and fruitiness of the nose extends to the palate
reminding me of a (mild) English Christmas cake.
Finish:
Extremely long and rich yet gentle and not
too overpowering. Right at the end there's the faintest
suggestion of coconut.
Overall Impression:
Delightful and quite possibly a 'Great' too.
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BenRiach,
Curiositas, 10y, (peated),
46% ABV
Original cost of
this bottle; €€€€€ |
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Glass:
Classic Malt
Colour:
Pale yellow, light gold
Nose: Fresh
peat with just a hint of new rubber wellington boot and
redcurrant jelly.
Palate:
Initially smooth
and creamy with a hint of fruit, but then the peat arrives on
the palate and warms gently across the tongue, bringing that
slight of rubber with some faint wood, but fading back to a
peaty delight.
Finish: Long, gentle
peat.
Overall Impression:
This is peat in
another dimension to the Islay offerings. Lighter, but still
intense. I like it!
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BenRiach,
Horizons, 12y,
50% ABV
Triple distilled,
limited release, sherry wood
Original cost of
this bottle; €€€€€
Reviewed as part of
MMA 2011 |
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Glass:
Classic Malt
Colour:
Rich gold
Nose:
Slightly dry scorched wood, a light fruitiness and after some
minutes a hint of cloves. The suggestion of cloves expands with
more time in the glass.
Palate:
Very
creamy mouth-feel with an accompanying burst of flavou
comprising mainly peppery cloves and cardamom seeds.
Finish: Long and rich
with a gentle peppery tingle.
Overall Impression:
A very
good whisky, I really enjoyed this one.
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BenRiach,
Septendecim, 17y, (peated),
46% ABV
Original cost of
this bottle; €€€€€
(My thanks to
BenRiach for the official sample) |
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Glass:
Classic Malt
Colour:
Pale yellow gold / straw
Nose:
Rubbery, very Pirelle P-Zero or even bright yellow marigold
washing-up gloves. Eventually, behind the rubberiness comes a
vanilla fruitiness, in fact the rubberiness now fades a little
to leave the vanilla more room to expand, but it never quite
totally disappears. After more time there's finally a kind of
light earthy peatiness.
Palate:
Much
more peaty than the rubbery nose thankfully. In fact there's no
rubberiness here, just fruity peat, a hint of coconut and a
slightly watery mouth-feel.
Finish:
Medium to long with fruity peat.
Overall Impression:
A
really
enjoyable
palate with a nose for the rubber fettishist, sadly I'm not one.
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Glass:
Classic Malt
Colour:
Dark
yellow, rich gold.
Nose: A very
unusual nose here, initially with a cocktail of peat and lemon (citrus).
As time passes a little vanilla comes into the mixture too, but
the peat is always present in the background.
Palate:
Very smooth, fruity
peat. The fruit isn't quite so citrus on the palate, but it is
still clean and fresh as I get hints of papaya with slight lime.
Finish:
Very long,
fruity peat with delicious fruit left right at the end.
Overall Impression:
Incredible flavours,
I love this whisky.
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BenRiach,
Birnie Moss, 21y, (peated),
48% ABV
Original cost of
this bottle; €€€€€ |
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Glass:
Classic Malt
Colour:
Extremely pale, lightly discoloured water.
Nose:
Light
peatiness with vegetal undertones. There's also an Atlantic
freshness with a very light and indistinct fruitiness.
Palate:
Creamy
mouth-feel but quite watery with peat and then a light
fruitiness leading into the finish.
Finish:
Long
Overall Impression:
Innocuous
and innocent, but also indistinct and quite indifferent.
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BenRiach,
13y,
46% ABV
Heavily
peated madeira cask
Original cost of
this bottle; Unknown |
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Glass:
Classic Malt
Colour:
Golden sunshine
Nose:
Rich
earthy peat and lots of it with a little extra fruity character
in the background.
Palate:
The
palate doesn't have such heavy peat as the nose. It's more
creamy and gentle but yes, still there. It also has a suggestion
of what I can only describe as apple crumble with custard.
Finish:
Long with a gentle peatiness.
Overall Impression:
A
really good creamy and peaty character here. I love it.
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BenRiach,
17y,
46% ABV
Rioja
cask
Original cost of
this bottle; Unknown |
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Glass:
Classic Malt
Colour:
Rich amber
Nose:
Lots
of fruitiness with dark summer berries then almonds, fruity red
wine and just a hint of damp sawdust alongside creamy vanilla.
Palate:
The
fruity red wine and vanilla are really concentrated on the
palate.
Finish:
Long with fruity red wine flavours.
Overall Impression:
This
is quite enjoyable, but what a massive influence the rioja has
here.
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Independent
bottlings |
(IB) |
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Blackadder, BenRiach,
19y,
13.3.1991 - Feb 2011,
57.9% ABV
Hogshead cask
32284, bottle No.28 of 238
Original cost of
this bottle; €€€€€
Reviewed as part of
MMA 2011 |
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Glass:
Classic Malt
Colour:
Light oak
Nose:
Initial suggestion of freshly sawn aromatic oak followed by
hints of unbaked, freshly rising home-made bread dough. After
some 5 minutes in the glass the nose expands to include lightly
herbal grasses and lemon tree blossom.
Palate:
Lots
of initial punch with lime, biscuit and (almost, but not quite)
liquorice. Then some delightful lightly perfumed butterscotch.
Finish:
Long with a suggestion of floral buttersctoch.
Overall Impression:
I'm
impressed. What a wonderful whisky, truly excellent.
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CaskStrength.net, BenRiach,
16y, 1991 - 2012,
55.2% ABV
Cask
5614,
one of 296 bottles
Original cost of
this bottle; €€€€€ |
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Glass:
Classic Malt
Colour:
Amber
Nose:
Vanilla ice cream amidst raisins, currants, chocolate and just a
smidgen of furniture polish. With time in the glass a frity
oakiness develops which makes this a quite rich, but yet
refreshing whisky.
Palate:
A
really quite different mouth experience as initially the middle
of the palate is overlooked as a slightly dry creaminess heads
stright for the sides of the palate. After 2-3 seconds the
middle of the palate enjoys an expansion of slightly dry and
grainy creaminess. This expands to offer dark cherries, wild
honey and a mixture of dark fruitiness spreading across the
whole palate. I guess I should add a few drops of water, but no,
it's just fine as it is.
Finish:
Long and creamy
Overall Impression:
A very
gentle giant. Most enjoyable. In fact very good indeed.
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Cadenhead's, BenRiach-Glenlivet,
10y, 56.5% ABV
Original
cost of this bottle; Unknown |
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Glass:
Classic Malt
Colour:
Very pale yellow (gold)
Nose:
Warming and faintly musty with a gentle leafiness alongside
suggestions of vanilla and apple. In fact red apple and perhaps
even as an apple crumble with custard and raisins.
Palate:
Again
warming but also mildly peppery offering a tingle on the palate.
The leafiness and apple crumble-y-ness also translate from the
nose onto the palate.
Finish:
Very long and tingly with that peppery
apple-y-ness.
Overall Impression:
Fruity
and tingly and a good old honest bourbon cask whisky. Lovely.
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BenRiach,
1986, 23y, 'Plowed' 56.1% ABV
Original
cost of this bottle; Unknown |
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Glass:
Classic Malt
Colour:
Deep rich amber
Nose:
Luxuriously rich with dark fruitiness reminiscent of plums and
damsons, also suggestions of ginger cake and toasted almonds,
perhaps even roasted chestnuts.
Palate:
The
suggestions of the nose translate perfectly onto the palate with
that rich fruitiness, nuttiness and ginger cake.
Finish:
Very long with that rich fruitiness and
ginger cake.
Overall Impression:
I love
it.
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