benriach – grey whisky

Whisky 2020 – 57-61 – BenRiach Tasting

57 – BenRiach 2006 Sauternes Cask 12yr cask 1853 55.3%

Nose or pears, honey and saffron, egg tarts, pineapple, white flowers

Palate peach, pears, honey

Finish is super long with spice, vanilla egg tarts and flowers

****^

58 – BenRiach 2008 South African wine cask 10yr cask 7856 59% (adoro winery)

Nose for me is heavy cooked chocolate, black berry, graphite, cherry ripe and tropical fruit?!!

Palate super spicy, grass and a touch or cream, blueberry napoleons

Finish woody, coffee and grape seed

***^

59 – BenRiach 2005 PX cask 13yr cask 6924 56.2%

Nose is deep milky caramel coffee, Turkish delight, dates, sultanas, honey

Palate honey joy biscuits, dates, tannin, rubber and sulphur but not balanced.

Finish a bit too tannic, sulphur but some nice plums and liquorice.

***^

60 – BenRiach 21yr “Temporis”

Nose wood chips, plastic, dried seaweed

Palate honey and seaweed, band-aids

Finish really iodine and juicy.

***

61 – BenRiach 1995 peated oloroso cask 23yr cask 7385 51.7%

Nose of BBQ ham, orange and citrus, chlorine, pine needles.

Palate duck a’la orange and smoked ham, green wood smoke and shoe polish

Finish caramel and chalky

***

Whisky 2018 – 185-191 – BenRiach Batch 15 Tasting

Bit of a disappointment to be frank. Only the peated casks really stood up. Many of them promised a lot on the nose but fell down on the palate.

185 – BenRiach 2007, 10-year-old, Cask #8737 (Moscatel hogshead), 58.9% abv
Nose – orange fizz wizz, honey, lemon zest, apricots, grapes, honey comb, peanut butter
Palate – dry raisins, ashy, yuzu,
Finish – tobacco, rubber, bitter

186 – BenRiach 2006, 11-year-old, Cask #1855 (Sauternes barrique), 56.5% abv
Nose – apricot, cocoa mousse, apple
Palate – grapes, rubber, sulfur, dusty, salty, dry, apple, ash
Finish – pineapple and cream finish, butter

187 – BenRiach 2006, 11-year-old, Cask #2406 (Port pipe), 58.7% abv
Nose – raisins, maple syrup, gingerbread, cloves, sarsaparilla, dough, stewed plums
Palate – suggests a lot and disappoints, salt, butter, honey on rye bread, banana
Finish – vanilla, cream, butter

188 – BenRiach 2005, 12-year-old, Cask #2682 (peated, Port pipe), 53.9% abv
Nose – molasses, golden syrup, band-aids, green peanuts, smoked almonds
Palate – grass clippings, bbq meats, old apples, dried apricots, dates, dried figs, paprika, caramelised banana
Finish – cream, sea spray, toffee

189 – BenRiach 2005, 12-year-old, Cask #5014 (oloroso Sherry butt), 58.1% abv
Nose – hand cream, old honey, dried peaches, apricots
Palate – honey, liquorice, fennel, chocolate bullets, burnt chocolate
Finish – dried apple,

190 – BenRiach 1997, 20-year-old, Cask #4437 (Marsala hogshead), 54.8% abv
Nose – grilled pineapple, lemons, chocolate, herbal, musk, orange zest
Palate – heavy cream, old apples, cloves, cream, vanilla, pink lady apples
Finish – butter, green vines

191 – BenRiach 1995, 22-year-old, Cask #7383 (Peated, oloroso Sherry butt), 51.1% abv
Nose – grilled pineapple, medicinal, cream, leather
Palate – cloves, chocolate, raisins, dates, figs, hazelnuts
Finish – huge creamy finish, zingy

Whisky 2018 – 148-151, The Malt, Taipei

148 – Ben Nevis 1997, 17 Years by Black Adder Raw Cask, Taiwan Exclusive Cask #963 50.6%
Nose – raw pastry, almonds, play dough, cream, lemon pudding
Palate – cream, pastry, green apricots, salt, slightly twiggy and maritime, cake mix
Finish – cream all over, apricots, peaches, stonefruit

149 – Ben Nevis 1997 by McCraes bottled 2016 Cask HL12157 55.4%
Nose – orange zest, brandy snaps, chocolate cake, coffee cream
Palate – brown sugar, over proved bread, leather, cream, bruised apples, rubber, licorice
Finish – green vines, cream, sucking on a sherry cask

150 – Springbank Sherry Wood 1997 18 Years*
Nose – doughnuts, cured meat, bruised apple, golden syrup
Palate – medicinal, tar, cream, orange zest, peanut brittle, dark chocolate bounty bar
Finish – such beautiful notes of green apple, cream, chocolate bullets, bitter caramel

151 – Benriach PX Single Cask 1996 for Taiwan, 19 years cask #3609 54.3%*
Nose – grilled pineapple, coconut, cream, tropical fruit salad, crushed ants, kit-kats, reef-oil
Palate – chocolate, cream sprinkled with brown sugar, marshmallow, mangoes, orange juice, apricot nectar
Finish – cream loads of it, salt, leather, orange zest, stewed apricots

Whisky 2017 – 193-197 – The Mash Tun, Tokyo

It is always a pleasure to visit The Mash Tun in Tokyo, owner Toru Suzuki is a true gentleman and wonderful ambassador for whisky. On this trip I arrived as they finished a Cadenhead tasting with General Manager, Mark Watt. Truly a special occasion to walk through the door on. I also met representatives from Shinanoya and Whisk-e. I was hanging out with the big dogs, accidentally.

193 – Benrinnes Bourbon Cask for the Mash Tun 13th Anniversary 17 Years “How can I live at the top of the mountain“
Pancakes, vanilla, salted butter, sweet biscuits, cakes, stone fruit, galvanized fence. Apricots, vanilla, rubber, sulphur, salt, red apples, sponge cake, chestnuts.

194 – Cadenhead’s 175th Anniversary Caperdonich 39 Years
Rubber, shoe polish, chocolate, grilled nectarines. Toffee, raisins, butter, brown sugar, ice coffee, plum chutney, green figs, old butter. This thing is huge.

195 – Glenfarclas 32 Years Salon de Shimaji PenXShinanoya Cask 136 1981 bottled 2013
Buttered toast, chestnut purée, raisin, cloves, pickled onions (in a good way), coffee. Honey, butter, pain à raisin, salt, apricots.

196 – Ichiro’s malt “The Game” Madeira Hogshead Cask 1370, 10 Year Anniversary of Shinanoya *
Maple syrup, pancakes, loads of stone fruit, toasty, caramel, toffees, toffee apple, pineapple upside down cake. Rubber, raisins, sulphur, apricots, old butter, musk sticks, butter and maple syrup on crumpets.

197 – Benriach 1976 Sherry Cask/Bourbon Finish Cask 529, 37 years
Plastic, caramel, rose hips, green grass, columbines, salt, passion fruit vine. Butter herbs, butter, caramel, apricot jam, chocolate, stout, kiwi fruits, chocolate, LPG, beef fat, vanilla icecream, pineapple.

Whisky 2017 – 49-51 – La Masion du Whisky, Singapore

Last night in Singers. Just grabbed a couple of quick drams at La Maison du Whisky. Nice bar with maybe 200 bottles open, but loads of interesting bottles to buy as you’d imagine from LMDW – a 1990s Springbank 100 Proof and a 7 of Diamonds Ichiro’s (as I drank at Auld Alliance!) – yes please!!!

49 – Glen Keith LMDW Artist #6 1992 20 years Cask 120584

Marshmallow, cream, ice coffee, vanilla essence. Coconut cream, praline, green leaves, light fruit cake, white peaches and cream, lemon pith, white chocolate.

50 – Boutiquey Whisky Company Tobermoray Batch 3
Glacé fruit in acetone, salt and pepper, bitter caramel, warm cherries. Green apples, pancakes, cream, malty, slight cocoa hit.

51 – Benriach 1999 PX Cask for LMDW 15 Years Cask 5727
Xmas spices, orange zest, vanilla cream, woody and softened butter. Wowsers citrus infused cream, toasted hazelnuts, pepper, and huge length, red apple, loads of warm brown butter, cinnamon scroll out of the oven.

Whisky 2017 – 20-23

20 – Liquid Treasures Clynelish 18 Bourbon Hogshead 1997
Tropical fruit, honey, pastries, salty butter, gooseberries, toffee apples. Pie crust, apples, salt, lard, bananas, cloves, mint.

21 – Arran Limburg Whisky Fair 15th and Arran 21st Anniversary Single Sherry Cask, no 913 1997
Bananas and cream, apricot nectar, shoe polish, lemon zest, crushed ants, how I imagine medlars smell, fruit straps. Lemon delicious, egg whites, egg nog, pepper, roasted corn, intense stone fruit reduction, salt.

22 – Sansibar Speyside very old selection
Sulfur, rubber, cream, leather, hairspray. Slightly medicinal, nutty, rubber, chocolate, match heads, plastic and raw cashews.

23 – Benriach 1998 triple distilled PX finish Cask 7758 for the Whisky Exchange
Stone fruit, leather, roast pumpkin, chocolate, strawberry jam, cake mix. Cake mix, dark chocolate, peaches, creamed sugar, slight rubber note, banana smoothie.

Whisky 2016 – 12-20 BenRiach tasting

12 – BenRiach 10 Years
Rubber, honey, slight vanilla, warm cola, slight banana, Xmas fruit, red apple. Stewed Apple, vanilla, tobacco, green grass, firm green pear slices.

13 – BenRiach 16 Years
honey, slight floral note, almost rose petals, apricot jam. Vanilla, stewed pears, dry cake spices, apple tea cake.

14 – BenRiach 20 Years
Apricot jam, brandy snaps, slight cola, runny honey, hand cream, chocolate. Cream, passionfruit, pepper, something green and salty, butter, banana flavoring.

15 – BenRiach 12 Years Sherry Finish (50% Olorosso 50% PX)
Cream, brown sugar, cola, milk chocolate, cloves, egg whites, overripe apple, toffee apple. Quite dry, powdered apple, cream, slight toffee.

16 – BenRiach Curiositas 10 Years Peated
Herbaceous, cream, sight medicinal note, rosemary and thyme, proper bacon, fruit sweetness. Apple, campfire smoke, BBQ chicken, cream and toffee apple, slight molasses and liquorice, minerals.

17 – BenRiach Cask Strength Batch 1
Loads of apricot jam and cream on scones, dates, some dry white characteristics, dried pineapple, butter and maple syrup, floral. Dates, figs, cream, vanilla, dried apricots, butter, some salt and herbs.

18 – BenRiach 25 Years
Really deep apples, marzipan, light musty note, meringue, whipped cream, my Nan’s pavlova, stewed apricots. Cream, orange citrus cake, young mangos, passionfruit vine, juicy apricots.

19 – BenRiach PX Cask #5171 1998
Salted butter, brown sugar, vanilla essence, my mum’s stewed apricots. Cream, stone fruit, brown sugar and Greek yoghurt.

20 – BenRiach Oloroso Cask #8687 1999
Cola and honey, salted butter, chicos, apricot jam, egg whites. Apricots (again) in a pound cake with lashings of creams, some citrus zest, honey.

Whisky 2015 – 127-131

Some good drams in this set. Really enjoyed the lot.

127 – Benriach 12 Sherry Cask
Passion fruit, raisins, pancake batter, cream, vanilla. Green herbs, salt, cream, passion fruit.

128 – Signatory Highland Park 1999 Bourbon Barrel single cask
Citrus curd, biscuit crust, milk chocolate, violets, cola, bananas. Cola, gasoline, vanilla cream

129 – Wemyss 2002 Glengellachie “Dark Treacle Fondant”
Huge raw honey, golden syrup, tomato paste, toffee, glue. Rubber, coffee trifle and vanilla.

130 – Wemyss 1995 Mortlach “Stem Ginger Preserve”
Ginger, wood polish, bananas, plasticine, sweat (not in a bad way). Green rockmelon, ginger, syrup, ginseng, vanilla, cloves.

131 – Bunnahabhain Toiteach
Christmas cake, pepper, salt, instant coffee and seaweed. Seaweed, walnuts, lick of smoke, bitter orange seeds.

Whisky 2015 – 78-85

Sorry folks… forgot to update.

Benriach and Heartwood are quickly becoming personal favourites.

78 – Benriach 15 Sauternes
Vanilla, cocoa, stewed apricots, crushed ants, rock candy. Vanilla, passion fruit, apricots, salt, cream and a lick of peat.

79 – Benriach 17 Solstice
Heavily peated, medicinal, pine resin, toffee, cherry and woody. Coffee, toffee, slight medicinal note and smoke.

80 – Benriach Peated PX Cask 18
Rubber, toffee apple, butter, cocoa, cream, tobacco, smoke. Medicinal, complex, cream and smoke.

81 – Royal Lochnagar Selected Reserve 2008
Tropical fruit, rock melon, iced coffee, banana bread, biro ink. Banana bread, vanilla, yeast, grain, some flintiness.

82 – White Oak 14
Tar, woody, chocolate and shitloads of leather and tobacco, cola, bit of smoke(?!). Lovely musk sweetness, pepper, brown sugar, green bitterness, cloves, smoked meats.

83 – Hibiki Harmony
Chocolate, honey, vanilla, crushed ants. Light on the palate and then a hit of mango, cream, nutty.

84 – Heartwood Devil May Care
Nutty, rock melon, maple syrup, rose water. Toasted almonds, glue, rubber, fruit, dried figs… Huge vanilla finish. Very good.

85 – Adelphi Glen Keith 21
Bananas, yeasty brown bread, strawberry lip gloss, milk chocolate. Banana sandwich on rye with salted butter.

Whisky 2015 – 38-41

38 – BenRiach 12 Horizons
Apricots, rubber, brown sugar. Egg white, xmas spices, pudding, salt.

39 – BenRiach 15 Dark Rum
Unsurpisingly smells like agricole rum, meringue, lemonade, leather, cucumber skin, chocolate pudding and vanilla cream. Icecream, formic acid, toasted marshmallows, grilled pineapple.

40 – BenRiach 1997 Marsala Finish
Chocolate mousse, egg whites, buttered popcorn. Huge hit of cream, apricots, and formic acid, chocolate milkshake.

41 – Linkwood 12
Yeast bun, raisins and butter, dry yeast. Yeast buns slathered in butter. Reminds me of nan cooper’s buns.