BenRiach 10 Year

I am more into Islay whisky, but I kept hearing great things about this dram. It goes down well, nice and complex. It's not my wheelhouse and a bit pricey, but I hold on to a bottle as one to offer friends who have decent taste. I also get to keep them away from my Islay stash at the same time. Win-win.

This whisky has that "hidden gem" appeal, as if you had to climb down three flights of stairs into an old cellar hidden for centuries somewhere in the Scottish highlands. Perhaps I'm romanticizing it a bit - but what is alcohol without its historical, celestial allure? Now, how does it hold up? The thing that interests me most is the contrast between nose and palate: it smells like peaches and cream, almost floral but nonetheless very innocent, but it's very sharp and rebellious in its taste. Think green apples and pepper. Not really a whisky to own or to call your favorite, but definitely to try a dram if you stumble upon a (home) bar that has it.