Benriach 21 (Chieftain's)

Nose - mango, honeysuckle, dry herbal and floral notes, pineapple, hay, lemon pith, buttered toast, cereal grain, mild to moderate ethanol burn. Taste - pineapple, guava, honey, lemon zest, ginger, allspice, banana, spearmint, cereal grain, dry oak, bitter herbal notes, moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium length with tropical fruit, dry oak, and cereal grain flavors. My last BenRiach is an old one at 21 years, three of which were spent in a rum cask. Wow, the nose on this is dry. Very grainy or chalky. The majority of aromas are tropical in nature with some pithy lemon as well. The palate is punchy. Mostly tropical and citrusy. And the graininess is also present. It’s rather rich, which I’d expect for the age, but the harshness is surprising. It drinks at least at, if not above, its proof. I’m not loving this. It’s austere, and the balance seems off. It’s so dry, from the nose all the way through the finish. Those nice tropical notes are fighting to be heard and are largely dominated by the bitter, pithy, grainy qualities. Overall it’s better than average, but I can’t go higher than that. A big thank you to @jonwilkinson7309 for providing the generous sample! My favorite of the BenRiachs has been The Smoky Twelve. I’d buy a bottle at SRP. I can’t say the same for the others.