BenRiach 16 Year

This is a wonderful whisky that will challenge your ability at teasing out aromatic compounds; unfortunately the predominance of ethanol at first nosing masks whatever is underneath. A few drops of water and allowing the dram to decant in a glass for at least 15 minutes goes a long way. That said, the bourbon cask really comes through with wonderful aromas of oak, vanilla and honey. Additionally, subtle touches of apricots and smoke really add depth and character here. And with a mouthfeel that is full and oily, the finish is long and sumptuous. Fantastic!

Initially when i tried I wasn't getting a lot out of this one. I found it a bit 'ethanolly' which masked the flavour profile. Roll on a few days and it opened up a fair bit more. Honey, vanilla, toffee and the alcohol become slightly more balanced. Still the aftertaste is a bit astringent. I rated this initially a 3 on first taste then on the 2nd once opened up a 4 taking into account the price of $60USD and the fact it's spent 16 years in a cask makes it a good value drop. Then on the third tasting months later it seems to have faded a bit and if I look at other 4s like a Laphroig PX, Bunnahabian 18 its not it the same class so back down to 3 it goes. They really need a half star rating system on this site!

2016