BenRiach Septendecim 17 Year

Took time to fully appreciate it. The damage is done now, i need another bottle. Two drops dripping on my hands when i pour a dram suffice to drive me crazy. What a beautiful peat smell!

Peaty. Hea.

I'm more in the Cascode camp on this dram. Thin lemony peat flavour, balanced by lovely sweet vanilla. It's a step up from Black Tartan and Hammerhead but that's not hard. Initially on par with the 21 year tawny port I thought and vague similarities with Ledaig 10. Initially 3.25 to 3.5 territory. Aftertaste has bitter astringency as cascode noted. Interestingly after I added a few drops of water in and left it to breathe it moved more into the 3 5 to 3.75 territory as the astringency faded and the flavour was amplified more...the aftertaste was still pretty short and average though. I've had a bit of a average run tonight but then again I had a pretty awesome run through the superdrams recently so all good things come to an end for a bit I guess... I'll end the detour of random drams and move back to SD territory next I think (with the obligatory palate cleanser prior of course :-))