
March 15, 2016

The Benriach works, part one

Because we’ve got many to taste, and because we couldn’t have them all in one go, or we’d be dead. Well, not quite dead, but a ‘a little tired’ for sure.

Benriach 15 yo ‘Sauternes’ (46%, OB, +/-2015)

Finished in Sauternes casks. After all, why not, but let’s see if a very fruity whisky plus a very fruity wine won’t just make the result… ach, vulgarly fruity. Like some kinds of smoothies from McDonald’s… Colour: gold. Nose: soft and fruity indeed, but not totally heady. What’s a little bizarre is that I’m finding hints of fruity hoppy beer, as they like to make in California. Or perhaps Gueuze. And apricot wine? Mouth: too much. Love Benriach and love Sauternes, just as much as I love coffee and I love mustard. But I wouldn’t mix them. More sweet marzipan and caramel than in both marzipan and caramel. Indeed, I find it mucho overdone. Finish: quite long, and perhaps better, with some buttered tea, more apricots, and more overripe pears. Comments: I wouldn’t say it’s wrecked, not at all, but I find it very ‘premix-y’. Some kind of strange hybrid spirit… Some will like it a lot, though. Yeah, Martians (I am joking!!!) SGP:641 - 73 points.

Erm, we’ve got plenty of middle-aged Benriachs to taste today, but first, let’s go straight to a sure remedy…

Benriach 35 yo (42.5%, OB, +/-2015)

This baby should cure us… Colour: amber. Nose: Pablo Casals after Justin Bieber. A perfect combination of nectar, many honeys, some beeswax, several slightly overripe western fruits (apples, pears, plums) and several well-ripened topical ones (papayas, mangos). Add a drop of menthol oil and a little white chocolate. This is more than perfect, elegant, subtle, and yet ‘evident’, even if it hasn’t quite got the ‘evidence’ of some older vintages, such as 1968 or 1976. Mouth: ah, evidence indeed. It’s a clear case of an obvious oakiness that’s so well complemented with fruit jams and syrups that balance gets perfect. More papayas, sultanas, pineapple jam, apples, honeys… And indeed a tobacco-like oakiness, and even many tannins, but those are very ‘silky’. Finish: medium, rather on apricots this time, which makes it resemble the (better side of) the 15yo Sauternes. Exceptional touches of mint tea, Moroccan-style. We’re at the Gazelle d’Or in Taroudant, sipping this while listening to the (friendly) muezzin… Comments: a perfect example of a perfect balance between a fruity spirit and an assertive old oak. Totally perfect, IMHO. SGP:561 - 92 points.

Good, we’ve recovered, let’s go on with the younger ones…

Benriach 12 yo ‘Sherry Wood’ (46%, OB, +/-2015)

Last time we tried this expression, that was in 2010. Found it pretty goodish (WF 80), but that was six years ago. They say ‘matured in sherry wood’, so it might not be a finish. Colour: gold. Nose: what we had expected. Some raisins, some fudge, a faint grassy/spicy side (green pepper), some chocolate, praline (Nutella, actually), and a wee felling of mulled wine, with star anise and cinnamon. Works for me. Mouth: works indeed, even if there’s a tiny rubbery/spicy side, with some walnut oil and, well ‘sucking rubber bands’. But the whole’s very pleasant, rather firm, and quite different from other sherried Speysiders (say colleagues Glendronach). A little salted liquorice. Finish: good length, with more walnuts and drops of triple-sec. Comments: I’d happily drink a bottle. A rather firmer version of Benriach, and not a sweetish sherry. SGP:451 - 82 points.

Benriach 17 yo ‘Septemdecim’ (46%, OB, +/-2015)

A peated one. Quite loved the early bottlings despite the wacky Roman name (WF 87 in 2012). Colour: white wine. Nose: was it still Seagram that made these peated batches? It’s one of the most delicate and elegant peat I’ve seen, although delicateness and elegance might not quite be what you’d expect from a peated whisky. Love these whiffs of old toolbox, penny book, castor oil, fresh oil paint, or linseed oil… It’s a very un-coastal peatiness, but the mainland sure has its charms. Mouth: I remember why I loved an earlier version, it’s because it’s so un-Islay. Salted cough syrup, ink, smoked salmon, ashes… I’m re-reading my old notes, and it seems that it used to be fruitier, while this one’s clearly more ashy/salty/sooty. Eating cigar ashes (while distracted). Finish: quite long, very ashy. I don’t quite know where this saltiness come from – doesn’t smoke trigger salt on our tongues? A debate to open on a whisky forum, one day… Comments: I think it got different, but quality’s similarly high. Forgot to mention lapsang souchong, this is very ‘lapsang-souchong-y’. No, we’re afraid of nothing. SGP:367 - 87 points.

A last one for today…

Benriach 17 yo 1998/2015 (48.9%, OB, for The Whisky Exchange, PX sherry finish, cask #7758, 704 bottles)

A PX finish, not always good news in my book, but anyway, I trust the very good people at TWE, they must have had their good reasons… Colour: amber with copper hues. Nose: mild, discreet, with notes of old books, dried mint leaves, Cadbury’s chocolate (they’re not all terrible!), and raisins. There are also whiffs of Moroccan mint tea, just like in the 35yo, which can’t be bad news. Mouth: ah, this is surprisingly quite good. It’s not that it’s not ridden with tiny flaws (Ginger tonic, fizzy lemon juice, rubbery jam) but it’s also interestingly herbal. And gingery. Normally, you’d expect from a PX some kind of slightly slutty sweetness (apologies), but that’s not the case at all here. But in fact, it’s getting a little too rubbery for me after five minutes. Loses steam and focus, and gets, well, rubbery. Not too good. Finish: medium, with rather more rubber and paraffin. Comments: well, I find it rather surprising that the very experienced and skilled folks at TWE would have selected this one. Or was it a French trainee, possibly a friend of a son or a daughter of Boris Johnson? Starts well on both nose and palate, but the rubber tends to take over. Not quite a fan, this time. SGP:361 - 77 points.

More tomorrow, maybe…

Check the index of all Benriach I've tasted so far