BenRiach The Smoky Ten - 46%
Founded in 1898 by John Duff, BenRiach Distillery has a long heritage of making single malt Scotch whisky. Located in North Speyside on the site of the old Riach farm, BenRiach draws its water from a mineral-rich aquifer deep beneath the distillery.
A significant part of this rich heritage is the tradition of distilling three distinct styles of whisky; unpeated, peated and triple distilled. Under the guidance of Master Blender, Dr Rachel Barrie, the BenRiach whisky portfolio has been further strengthened by the utilisation of a wide variety of casks from around the world, giving them the ability to continually explore and develop new flavour profiles.
From the distillery website
In the early 1970s, Benriach broke convention in Speyside by returning to distilling batches of whisky in the old, 19th century style, using malted barley smoked with Highland peat. This wood rich Highland peat imparts distinctly sweet and smoky notes into Benriach peated whiskies.
Benriach The Smoky Ten has been crafted from a combination of unpeated and peated spirit and then cask matured for at least ten years in a combination of bourbon barrels, Jamaican rum casks and toasted virgin oak. The whisky is then expertly married together to create sublimely smooth layers of sunripe fruit, aromatic smoke and toasted oak spice, lingering into the perfectly balanced sweet and smoky finish.
Natural cask-imparted colour, ABV 46%
Tasting Notes:
Appearance: Pale gold, forms a thin line which breaks before falling as slow, thick legs.
Nose: Green apples, slightly earthy, hints of fresh gooseberry and coconut.
Palate: The mouthfeel is initially a little thin, becoming more chewy with time in the mouth. Sweet ashy smoke followed by baked peach with maple syrup and vanilla. Ginger and cinnamon provide spicy warmth. Addition of a few drops of water dials down the spice, bringing out a little more fruit and sweetness but at the expense of much of the smoky influence.
Finish: Sweet caramel, vanilla, gentle smoke and ginger spice slowly dissipate.
Summary: This is a good quality, mildly peated whisky. The use of a variety of casks providing plenty of interest together with a good helping of spicy heat. The smoke isn’t as prevalent as might be expected from the name, instead providing more of a supporting role.
For me, I would have liked a little more punch from the smoke and a little less of the spice. However, priced at around £40 it’s good value for money and will happily sit in many whisky cabinets.
If you would like more information on this whisky, or the Benriach distillery, follow the link to the company website.
