BenRiach 1999/2014 Cask 7466 Review - BenRiach Dun Bheagan 1999/2012 (Ian MacLeod) Review - BenRiach Authenticus 21 Years Review


“BenRiach Special”

When planning my reviews I always try to give attention to all Scottish Whisky regions as well as other Whisky/Whiskey/Bourbon producing regions all over the world with special attention to the USA, Ireland and Japan. And last but not least the blends. At the request of many readers I give preference to more recent expressions. As a result, my backlog of older samples has increased quite a bit. To do justice to those samples I will review them in the format of Specials. These specials will deal with specific distilleries like today or bottlers, regions or countries. The reviews in these Specials will concentrate more on the Whisky itself and won't touch too much details about distilleries, maturation etc. I do hope you will like these Specials just as much as my regular reviews and I look forward to your reactions and suggestions. In this special I will review three expressions produced at the Speyside Distillery BenRiach. Enjoy!
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Whisky Review # 763

Country: Scotland
Region: Speyside
Brand: BenRiach 1999 - Bottled in October 2014
Type: Single Malt Single Cask Whisky - Cask #7466 - 302 Bottles
Selected and Bottled for: The Netherlands
Age: 15 Years
Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 53.3% (Cask Strength)
Maturation: Virgin Oak Hogshead
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: Around US$ 80 (August 2018)
Buying Advice:😐 It's okay but the Wood is too dominant for my taste!

Colour:

Light Copper (Natural Colour) - Very Dark Colour - Active Cask.

Nose:

Sweet with lots of Fruit and Vanilla. The Virgin Oak is noticeable and cask #7466 must have been an active one. It yielded 302 bottles and that's quite a lot in my opinion. Still, no other casks are mentioned.

Main Aromas:

Sweet Barley, Butter Kekse (German Butter Biscuits), Vanilla, Cake and Whipped Cream, Banana, Apple, Pear, Bounty Candy Bars, Virgin Oak, Varnish, Marzipan, Grass, Ginger and Cinnamon.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Honey, Butterscotch, Golden Syrup, Nuts, Pineapple, Nectarine, Sawdust, Milk Chocolate, Lemon, Orange and Mint.


Palate:

Sweet with developing Bitter & Sour notes. The Virgin Oak is too strong for me.

Main Flavours:

Sweet Toasted Barley, Vanilla, Sugared Almonds, Apple, Pear, Orange Peel, Oak, 
Pepper, Nutmeg, Ginger and Cinnamon.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Toffee, Caramel, Milk Chocolate, Golden Syrup, Honey, Grapefruit, Lemon, Earth, Grass and Coconut.

Finish:

Middle-Long, Bitter-Sweet and Woody. Medium-Dry towards the end. The Oak is too strong for my personal taste. I find Sweet Toasted Barley, Caramel, Toffee, Vanilla, Virgin Oak, Honey, Sugared Almonds, Grass, Syrup, Apple, Orange Peel, Lemon(Grass), Varnish, Pepper, Nutmeg, Ginger, Licorice and Menthol.

Drinking Advice:
Due to the small size of the sample, I only tasted this BenRiach neat.

Rating: 82.5

Nose: 21.5 - Taste: 20.5 - Finish: 20 - Overall: 20.5

Drinking Experience:

Not bad but way too Woody for me.

Conclusion:

The BenRiach distillery was founded in 1897 by John Duff & Co and is located in Longmorn, Elgin (Morayshire). It changed hands a couple of times in its history but in April 2016 it was bought by Brown Forman. BenRiach produced more or less 2,3 million litres in 2017. The core range includes a/o the NAS Heart of Speyside, the 10, 16, 20, 25 and 35 years. The peated varieties include a/o the Birnie Moss, the Curiositas 10, the Septendecim 17 and the Authenticus 25. I have not yet been able to visit this Distillery. We passed by in 2014 but it was closed for maintenance at the time. BenRiach Spirit is also used in Blends like Chivas Regal, 100 Pipers and Queen Anne.

The BenRiach 1999 specially bottled for The Netherlands is a bit of a Strange Kinda Woman as the Deep Purple song goes. It doesn't smell and above all taste like your regular Single Malt from this Speyside distillery. The main reason in my opinion is the extremely active Virgin Oak cask. The Wood completely dominates the Spirit, especially on the Palate and in the Finish. Too much so for my taste. So while this is not a bad Single Malt I wouldn't want to own a full bottle of this. For Oak Ridge Boys fans only!


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Whisky Review # 764

Country: Scotland
Region: Speyside
Bottled by: Ian MacLeod
Brand: BenRiach Dun Bheagan 1999
Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age: 12 Years - Bottled 2012
Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 43%
Maturation: Petrus Gaia Wine Finish - Casks 90281 + 90282 - 730 Bottles
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: Around US$ 50 (August 2018) - Very difficult to find.
Buying Advice: 😑 Price/Quality ratio is okay. Not my type of Whisky though.

Colour:

Orange Blossom Honey (Natural Colour)

Nose:

I find both Sweet and Sour notes and a little bit of Sulphur. Nothing serious though. On the Nose this BenRiach is a little introvert so be sure to give it enough time in the glass. The ABV is not very high but the Alcohol is presentThe Red Wine Finish is noticeable but not in an overwhelming way. The Nose is a bit plain I'm afraid.

Main Aromas:

Sweet Barley, Butter Kekse (German Butter Biscuits*), Toffee, Milk Chocolate, Honey, Sugared Almonds, Stewed Apples, Cinnamon, Sour Berries/Cherries and Red Grapes.

* You will really notice the Butter Kekse if you rub a bit of Whisky in the palm of your hand. Give it a try!

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Floral notes, Marzipan, Orange, Banana, Pear, Pepper, Nutmeg, Clove, Yeast and Dried Fruit. A little Leather perhaps.



Palate:

A little Thin and slightly Hot. A combo of Bitter Sweet and Sour notes. Lots of Wood spice. Our French friend Petrus Gaia is noticeable but does not dominate.

Main Flavours:

Sweet Barley, Caramel, Toffee, Milk Chocolate, Sour Berries/Cherries, Oak, Red Grapes, Pepper, Cloves, Licorice and Menthol.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Honey, Marzipan, Orange, Lemon, Dried Fruit, Nuts, Nutmeg and Cardamom.

Finish:

A little Thin, Middle-Long and Bitter-Sweet with developing Sour notes towards the Medium Dry end. Quite Hot & Peppery. I find Sweet Barley, Salted Caramel, Toffee, Vanilla, Honey, Almonds, Dried Fruit, Dusty Track, Milk Chocolate, Oak, Dark Red Fruit, Pepper, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cardamom, Menthol and Licorice.

Drinking Advice:

I added a few drops of Water and the Alcohol naturally retreats on the Nose. You also loose quite a few Aromas this way. Simple Orchard Fruit takes the lead. The Palate and Finish become less sharp as well but also end up on the plain side. I prefer to sip it without added Water.

Rating: 82

Nose: 21 - Taste: 20.5 - Finish: 20 - Overall: 20.5

Drinking Experience:

Okay. Nothing more. The Red Wine Finish is not too dominant. I'm not too crazy about the casks though.

Conclusion:

I'm not sure what type of casks were used to mature this BenRiach. I do know however that it was finished for an unknown period of time (probably a few months) in a cask or casks that previously held Red Wine produced at Chateau Petrus Gaia situated to the south of the Dordogne river in Ruch in the Bordeaux region. This French Chateau uses Merlot (80%), Cabernet-Sauvignon (16%) and Cabernet Franc (4%) grapes.

I'm not too fond of Red Wine cask finished Whisky in general but in this case the result is okay I suppose. The Petrus Gaia cask(s) add Sweetness but not in an annoying way. I can't get really excited about this BenRiach though and I think the casks are to blame. They add a type of almost aggressive Wood spice that I don't really care for. Again, this is not a bad Single Malt but I would not buy a full bottle of this although the Price/Quality ratio is quite acceptable. Let's hope the third and last of today's BenRiachs can bring a smile to my face!
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Whisky Review # 765

Country: Scotland
Region: Speyside
Brand: BenRiach Authenticus (Peated Malt)
Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age: 21 Years
Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 46%
Maturation: A mix of Ex-Bourbon and Ex-Sherry Casks
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: US$ 150-190 (August 2018) - Discontinued
Buying Advice: 😀 Good Single Malt. Discontinued - Quite expensive now!

Colour:

Golden Sunlight (Natural Colour)

Nose:

Nice Peat, even after 21 Years. There are some Medicinal notes too that remind me of a well-matured Southern-Islay Malt. The Sherry is noticeable although it remains in the background. The Alcohol is nicely integrated. On the Nose, this BenRiach doesn't really show a lot of complexity but it's pleasant enough.

Main Aromas:

Toasted Barley, slightly Burnt Toast, Earthy Peat, Soft Smoke, Vanilla, Salted Caramel, Dried Fruit like Raisins, Sultanas and Apricot, Stewed Apple, Dried Herbs, Aniseed, Cloves, Cinnamon and Bacon.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Iodine, Bandage, Wet Sand, Heather-Honey, Pine Resin, Leather, Orange/Lemon Peel, Ripe Pineapple, Almonds, Nutmeg and Pepper.


Palate:

A little Thin despite the good ABV. On the Palate this BenRiach presents a mix of Bitter, Sweet and Sour notes. The Alcohol is more noticeable. Strong Licorice & Menthol notes. Quite Dry.

Main Flavours:

Toasted Cereals, Salted Caramel, Earthy Peat, Soft Smoke, Cigar Ashes, Smoked Meat and Bacon, Tar, Herbal Tea, Dark Red Berries, Green Apple, Charred Oak, Sweet Licorice, Menthol, Aniseed, Pepper, Cinnamon and Cocoa Powder.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Heather-Honey, Vanilla, Dried Fruit like Raisins, Sultanas and Figs, Mixed Nuts, Citrus Peel, Straw/Manure, Lavender, Mustard Seeds, Leather and Tobacco.

Finish:

Middle-Long, Bitter-Sweet, slightly Medicinal and a little Hot. Some Sour notes as well towards the Dry end. I find Toasted Cereals, Salted Caramel, Tar, Earthy Peat, Soft Smoke, Ashes, Smoked Meat, Iodine, Straw/Manure, Charred Oak, Heather-Honey, Dried Herbs, Mixed Dried Fruits and Nuts, Dark Red Fruit, Green Apple, Black Tea, Pepper, Cinnamon, Mustard Seeds, Licorice and Menthol. Dark Chocolate after a while.

Drinking Advice:

I added a few drops of Water and the Peat/Smoke retreats on the Nose. A bit more Apples and perhaps Pears appear. Palate and Finish become too Thin for my taste. Even more Menthol in the Finish.

Rating: 85.5

Nose: 22 - Taste: 21 - Finish: 21 - Overall: 21.5

Drinking Experience:

Good. A bit too much Menthol and Licorice on the Palate and in the Finish for my personal taste.

Conclusion:

The peated Authenticus 21 Years has unfortunately been discontinued in the meantime but has been replaced by the peated Authenticus 25 Years. The 21 years has always  been a limited edition with a total of 4800 bottles per year. I bought a miniature in 2011. I believe it was bottled around 2009.

The 21 years is a well-made Single Malt but it has its flaws as well. I think that the ABV is a tad too low. The powerful Spices and Wood that come with old age deserve a stronger Alcohol companion. As it stands, the Nose is not spectacular and complex but okay. Palate and Finish suffer a bit from the strong Licorice and Menthol that take control. I personally believe that this Single Malt would shine when matured between 15 and 18 years. Still, the 21 Years Authenticus is by far the best of the three BenRiach expressions I'm presenting today! Cheers and until next week!

Jan van den Ende                                                                  August 20, 2018

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