Benriach The Original Ten

An elegant, Single Malt Scotch by master blender Dr. Rachel Barrie for Benriach Distillery in Speyside, Scotland that is 3 casks matured for at least 10 years in bourbon barrels, sherry casks & virgin oak then bottled at 43% ABV. It has an aromatic birth with notes of nectarine, honeydew melon, cedar, vanilla sponge with cream & jam; while a rich & complex life adds notes of croissants dipped in milky coffee, cinnamon rolls, creamy orchard fruits & earthy peat; that led to a balanced death of medium length with notes of toasted oak, nutty malt, vanilla bean, apricot & peat smoke. January 2023

Nose: Ripe Pears, Malt, Honey, Sugar Cookie, Nutmeg, Vanilla, Light Oak, light pineapple. Palate: Honey Suckle, Malt, Vanilla, Stewed Apples, White Pepper, Oak Tannins, Sweet Nuttiness, Mildly Astringent Finish. A lovely Speyside malt that embodies the sweet fruitiness you would expect of the region but also leans into the particularly malty characteristic of the distillit. It starts off with a strong sweetness comprised of Honey, White Fruits, and Malt, which transitions into the mid palate which is full of pepper and a mildy nutty sweetness. The whisky concludes with a hint of sweet nuts and honey. An excellent whisky for anyone at any point in their whisky journey. Being bottled at 43% abv and most likely chill filtered it still has legs to stand on and is surprisingly complex.