Virus_Of_Life Posted September 5, 2014 Share Posted September 5, 2014 Well here we go again, the poll is closed and the Foreign Whisky of the Month for September 2014, can't believe it's almost Fall already, is BenRiach.It may be hard to find something other than the standard release from this one, but I'd encourage those of you interested enough to try as my first taste of this distillery was the Birnie Moss a few years ago with I really enjoyed. I have also had the Curiositas which I enjoyed, but think I preferred the Birnie Moss.I plan to order a bottle of something different, maybe a single cask, to give a try before the month is out. Maybe a peated Sherry Cask? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AaronWF Posted September 5, 2014 Share Posted September 5, 2014 I almost picked up the 17yo Solstice (2nd Solstice edition), which is heavily peated and finished in what appears to be wood charged with port. $100. I have really enjoyed a number of port-aged whiskies and I think it's a great accompaniment to peat, but I'm wary of charged wood. Seems like a shortcut to me, and shortcuts in whisky turn me off. Anyway, I decided to pass in it for now and maybe seek out a taste before I consider it again.Looking forward to hearing others' experience with this distillery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomH Posted September 5, 2014 Share Posted September 5, 2014 Benriach produced my favorite "Bang for the Buck" bottling of all time.....a 1994 peated Benriach aged in Chateau Y'Quem barrels. The iodine-less peat combined with the Y'Quem produced a magnificent pour and the on-sale price was less than $50 if I remember correctly. I stocked up heavy and still have a few bottles left even though some other SB'ers also loved in (In fact, I think one of them actually recommended it to me) and encourage me to always have a bottle open to pour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtnDew Posted September 8, 2014 Share Posted September 8, 2014 I've passed on a number of bottlings from BenRiach simply because I did not know much about them. One store in particular had a good 15 different bottles on hand, but they started in the high 80's and went up which scared me off a little.I do have an AD Rattray bottling of BenRiach I grabbed a couple of years ago, might be time to crack that one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garbanzobean Posted September 8, 2014 Share Posted September 8, 2014 I've passed on a number of bottlings from BenRiach simply because I did not know much about them. One store in particular had a good 15 different bottles on hand, but they started in the high 80's and went up which scared me off a little.I do have an AD Rattray bottling of BenRiach I grabbed a couple of years ago, might be time to crack that one.I'm waiting for Septendecim to be available in Maryland. My only concern with it is I've heard the peat can be perceived as "Connemara-like." Connemara being my bane. I'm hoping the richer spirit of BenRiach makes it all work. Anyone got any insight into this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolph Lundgren Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 BenRiach is killing it right now, at least their single casks. There are quite a few that I've tasted through and they've all been great. Been eyeing a 12yr Olorosso sherry I might have to grab soon. Somebody sent me a sample of the Chateau Y'Quem and you're right Tom, that was really fantastic stuff - great balance of sweetness and smoke. Wish I'd have known about it back in the day... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garbanzobean Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 Starting my BenRiach education with BenRiach 12 (43% ABV version). Offhand, it's very nice. Reminds me slightly of Glenmorangie Nectar D'or or maybe very slightly of Balvenie 15 (but far less refined). There are some bitter oak notes that I am not huge on, but water makes those go away. It's got a lot of oats, honey, and a very creamy mouthfeel. This isn't one that I'd purchase an entire bottle of, but I'm glad I tried it. Very nice. Next up: BenRiach Curiositas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garbanzobean Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 Oh my. Curiositas is right in my wheelhouse. Good moderate peat kick, light delicate fruity overtones. This reminds me quite a bit of Caol Ila, but a bit fruitier. Looks like I'll be buying some peated BenRiach soon . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AaronWF Posted September 25, 2014 Share Posted September 25, 2014 17yr Solstice in my glass right now, 2nd pour from the bottle. This is the 2nd edition, the 1st edition being 15 years old. Kind of a generic, port-y nose with an alcohol smack. Strawberries, weak chocolate, a little smoke. A sweet entry leads to, again, a somewhat generic palate. It's not hot, exactly, but there's an alcohol component that seems to prevent flavors from developing. Generic notes of peat (I'm using that word generic quite a bit here), some stale strawberries and not much malt oomph. The finish is a bit fume-y with that one note strawberry peat thing. This whisky has taken port and peat and made one note out of it, which is a disappointment. No real nuance to speak of. Strawberry peat is a nice note in theory, but there's no hint of dynamism here at all.This is all hype. 17 year old, "heavily peated," finished in port pipes and we have a one-note malt that is completely uninspired. How disappointing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolph Lundgren Posted October 1, 2014 Share Posted October 1, 2014 I've been unimpressed by BenRiach's core line. At WF last year, I remember the Authenticus 25 year being real soft and tame - lots of typical Speysider fruit with a little smoke on the finish. It reminded me of the Balvenie 17 year peated cask. Again, I think BenRiach is doing an amazing job with their single casks, but their core line on the other hand could use some work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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