Another one I tried at the Hielander Whisky Festival early this year. While chatting to Kenny of Dràm Mòr, we had a couple of drams. Some of them I already knew because of review activities, and wanted to try again (before buying a bottle). Others were new, like this BenRiach.
Because of the bottle nearing its end and because we’re visiting the distillery in November for the Grape & Grain tour with Rachel Barrie, it was high time I wrote some tasting notes for it.
Sniff:
Barley with grilled banana, a tad sweet with notes of pastry and crunchy muesli. The sherry cask is prominent, but not overly dominant. A bit honeyed with some vanilla too.
Sip:
The palate shows the same notes of honey and banana. There’s barley, oak and some chili pepper.
Swallow:
There’s more dryness on the finish. More distillery character, more grain and oak. A hint of honey and grease.
Typically I would not have bought a PX cask finished whisky since they tend to be on the sweeter side of the spectrum. This one I would not have bought if I hadn’t tried it first, but while there is sweetness, it’s not too much and there are quite some dry flavors to counter the sweetness. The barley and oak sits comfortably next to the notes of banana and pastry. This one works well, and even though the ABV isn’t exactly low, it’s a dangerously drinkable dram.
86/100