The Single Casks are here!
Batch 15 BenRiach single casks have arrived!
The Spring single cask season is upon us — and unlike the other Spring carnival we can enjoy a few drinks AND keep it classy ;)
Thanks to The BenRiach and Brown-Forman we were lucky enough to get a sneaky taste of the new range (which will be at the tasting events to come in the next few weeks), but if you can’t wait that long and are keen to get ahead of the pack, we humbly submit our tasting notes (such that they are) for your pleasure/amusement/edification/derision and of course, where you can now buy them!
As the following are all single casks from a variety of casks/hogsheads/barriques/what-have-you from the distillery we have lovingly dubbed the’ Chameleon of Speyside’ we haven’t done a deep dive on the makeup and ageing process employed for each cask — most of the necessary detail is in the name of each expression (simples!)
BenRiach 2007 10 Year Old — Cask #8737 — Moscatel Hogshead
Single Malt Scotch Whisky
700ml, 58.9% ABV
Owner: Brown-Forman
Nose: Prickly pear, fairy floss/icing sugar, cut, slightly tart raspberries and bergamot oil
Palate: Spiced prunes and apple brandy, some sweet agave nectar followed with a cayenne pepper and mineral ‘flint-iness’ on the (interesting and decent length) finish.
Find it here!
BenRiach 2006, 11 Year Old — Cask #1855 — Sauternes Barrique
Single Malt Scotch Whisky
700ml, 56.5% ABV
Owner: Brown-Forman
Nose: Paw paw and salted green mango at first sniff followed by freshly blossomed honey suckle and bruised lemon grass. Finally malt in the form of McVitties wheat biscuits with Golden Syrup.
Palate: Spiced prunes with apple muesli bar sweetened with honey and a dash of lemon zest. Thick and oily mouth coating action — rather long finish.
Coming soon!
BenRiach 2006, 11 Year Old — Cask #2406 — Port Pipe
Single Malt Scotch Whisky
700ml, 58.7% ABV
Owner: Brown-Forman
Nose: Port wine jelly (for the trifle!) burnt toffee/butterscotch, dark cherry, with a hint of pine needle/menthol right at the top of the nose.
Palate: Dark raisins and chocolate, thick golden syrup with a hint of star anise and an Ovaltine-y malt hit. Fruits move towards cranberry on repeated tastings.
Find it here!
BenRiach 2005, 12 Year Old — Cask #5014 — Oloroso Sherry Butt
Single Malt Scotch Whisky
700ml, 58.1% ABV
Owner: Brown-Forman
Nose: Almost noses like a young juicy Botrytis at first (super weird for an Oloroso) followed by heavily caramelised and charred fresh pineapple. Sultana butter pastry scrolls(!??!?).
Palate: Reminiscent of eating a handful of super light coloured sultanas from those small packets from Sunraysia. Opens up to more fresh apple and pineapple flavours over time with a bit of Chomp bar thrown in (light creamy filling, wafer biscuit and caramel and milk chocolate).
Find it here!
BenRiach 1997, 20 Year Old — Cask #4437 — Marsala Hogshead
Single Malt Scotch Whisky
700ml, 54.8% ABV
Owner: Brown-Forman
Nose: Sweet and tart orange notes (like a Seville). Freshly cut yellow peaches. Some nutmeg and cinnamon, fresh baked banana bread.
Palate: Honey comb in white chocolate, spiced Banana bread (like the nose but the cinnamon and nutmeg are in the bread now), juicy tinned peaches with cream (remember when that was a fancy desert?). Tiny bits of Christmas plum pudding trying to escape.
Find it here!
BenRiach 1995, 22 Year Old — Cask #7383 — Peated Oloroso Sherry Butt
Single Malt Scotch Whisky
700ml, 51.1% ABV
Owner: Brown-Forman
Nose: Smouldering pine needles (like a Beekeeper’s smoker), lightly toasted marshmallows (more sweet than browned), baked apples, dark rye bread (the kind where the loaf is almost solid enough to chock the wheels of a car on a steep hill). Some kind of voodoo involving fresh coconut flesh and flaked almonds.
Palate: First sip brings to mind a good flint strike (like a classic Springbank) followed by mellow apple tobacco smoke and an amazing vanilla icing like thick sweet flavour sitting on top of an apple muffin. Some fancy herbs sprinkled all over it (sage and thyme?). Not for fans of big smoke thrills, but easier to ‘get around’ without having to psyche yourself up for it.
Find it here!
BenRiach 2005 12 Year Old — Cask #2682- Peated Port Pipe
Single Malt Scotch Whisky
700ml, 53.9% ABV
Owner: Brown-Forman
Nose: A good smoked ham honey glazed ham (more typical of older Ardbeg for me), Old fashioned bitters, Allens Redskins and some cranberries (maybe jam for the ham — really should eat before trying this many whiskies in future?).
Palate: Cigars this time instead of shredded tobacco. Zested and burnt orange peel. Dark chocolate coated almonds and a hint of sweet BBQ meat (Chinese BBQ pork — the red glazed type). Super approachable and laid back compared to it’s Islay cousins despite being peated to a similar level as Ardbeg and the youth and ABV its been bottled at.
Find it here!
Cheers!
The Whisky List
Photos Courtesy of May Lawrence Photography / supplied.
