BenRiach Tasting – A Double Peated Sensation
The Whisky Boys received a couple of samples from Nicol van Rijbroek a marketing executive from The BenRiach Distillery Co. Ltd. and a big thank you goes out to Nicol.
As all our regular readers know, Nicola is still struggling with heavily peated single malts, so it falls to Jim to taste these two peated drams, and for Jim this will not be a problem. Tonight it is about 7.30 pm on Wednesday the 1st of February, Jim is sure he will enjoy these two expressions.
In 2008, The BenRiach Distillery Company Ltd ,purchased the GlenDronach Distillery, located in Forgue by Huntly in Aberdeenshire. GlenDronach is world famous for producing richly sherried single malt Whisky and has a longstanding history dating back to 1826.
Today both the BenRiach and GlenDronach Distilleries are once again producing single malt Whiskies as independent distilleries and a bright and exciting future lies ahead for both.
The BenRiach Distillery Company Ltd.
Queen Anne Drive
Lochend Industrial Estate
Newbridge,
EH28 8LN
Scotland.
telephone – 0131 456 2611
fax – 0131 456 2688
info@benriachdistillery.co.uk
The BenRiach Distillery,
By Elgin,
Morayshire,
IV30 8SJ
t:elephone – 01343 862888
fax – 01343 862999
website www.benriachdistillery.co.uk
We would suggest to everyone to check out the website and take in all that is BenRiach, their story and all their expressions.
The first dram for tonight is:-
BenRiach Speyside Single Malt – 13 Year Old Heavily Peated Madeira Cask – 46% Alc/vol 70cl
Colour…Pale lemon marmalade
Jim’s Tasting
Nose…Strong full peat, heavily fruited cake, way in the background is some pear notes
Taste…Fully rounded, peat is a delight, some woodiness, some coal fire sootiness, after all this it is still smooth as expensive rich dark chocolate with some chewy Caribbean fruits.
Finish…Long and very complex, still sweet with some toasted marshmallows and love the lingering peat/smoke, just how I love my peated malt.
That was an absolute delight, Jim can only say that he loves his peated malts and this whisky must rate up there with some of the fantastic Islay malts that Jim loves so much. Well done keep up the good work this is one grand dram.
Well Jim now must move onto his next tasting and that is:-
BenRiach Speyside Single Malt – Septendecim 17 Year Old Peated 46% Alc/vol 70cl
Septendecim is Latin for seventeen.
Colour…Fresh whole barley grain
Jim’s Tasting
Nose…Peaty freshness, leather workshop, citrus and nutty wood.
Taste…Peat is the highlight, robust but smooth, stewed apples and a wee touch of tar, a delightful honey sweetness, almost chewable a delight.
Finish…Peat is long and coats the palate, here comes the spice, quite drying, the finish just goes on and on, this is one great peaty dram.
If Jim thought the first one was good then this 17 year old is outstanding, this dram has now been put into our shortlist for the best Single Malt of 2012 (and it is only February).
The Whisky Boys cannot stress highly enough that our readers should go out and buy one each of these two excellent expressions. We still have a couple of other BenRiach expressions to taste and after tonight they have just moved way up our list of soon to be tasted drams.
We must give Nicol a BIG THANKS for sending us these fine drams, the Whisky Boys are hoping later in the year to visit Speyside, and BenRiach is now high on our list.
What??? a 4.5 cork…. they are not given lightly. This must have been an outstanding dram.
I hope there is a little left for me to sample this evening at our tasting.
Nic