BenRiach 21 Year

The nose smells almost peaty, but you find on the palate that it’s toasted oak and toasted honeycomb. There’s also hints of pineapple and caramelized sugar from the toasted oak. The finish is smoky and a little oily so that it lingers a bit.

Young tasting 21. Bitty. Honey initially. Then fruit. Floral. Spice.

Nose – Custard, ginger, honey, strawberries, pineapples, cereal malt, cedar wood. Palate – Thin to medium mouth coat, medium red fruits, caramel, white pepper. milk chocolate, and vanilla. Finish – Medium oaky properties with rhubarb, savory pie, slight leather and smoke. Delicate, and not intense… refined speyside… Water – N – Brings out more sugars, marshmallow, like Japanese. Apples and pears. P – Tames tartness and bring out more fruit/vanilla. F – Lengthens to long finish, but same notes. The theme to this dram should be overly complex, but still slightly miss the mark... Makes me think of "The Ancient" from Tales from Topographic Oceans by Yes.

Yeah, that’s a BenRiach right of the bat. The typical Speysider with an extra portion of herbs and malty brittle. Very nice and deep nose - rich and sweet. Sweet and herbal on the palate as well with a fruity vibrance. Malty and oaky. The finish is medium long and leaves a spicey cola taste with some woody bitterness on the tongue. While this is a good whisky for sure, I think on its own it feels a bid to straight and one sided. But this would be a great base to finish in some exotic casks which BenRiach has some great expertise in.

Lighter in color than the 20 yo. The nose is even more delicate. Traces of Bordeaux? Sweet and candied on the nose. Tons of fruit. Apples and peaches and pears. Honeysuckle and vanilla. Tart and sharp on the pallet. Sherry and oak and spice. Gentle but complex. Not my favorite tonight at this tasting, but very very good. Great finish. Long and warming. Mmmm...