Benriach The Original Ten

Nose - apple juice, pear, honey, cereal grain, sulphur, orange zest, apricot, caramel, vanilla, wet grass, allspice, light oak, mild to moderate ethanol burn. Taste - apple juice, honey, ginger, pear, apricot, brine, cereal grain, butterscotch, vanilla, lemon pith, orange zest, grass, mint, cinnamon, mild to moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium short with honeyed fruit, ginger, and citrus flavors. I’m now venturing into the world of unpeated BenRiach, starting with this new entry level offering, The Original Ten. Interestingly, it’s the only of the new releases bottled at 43%. The rest are at 46%. The nose doesn’t inspire confidence. If I didn’t know better, I would think this was a mid shelf blended malt. It has the same apple juice quality you often find with them. Nice sherried, honeyed fruits appear, but there’s also an undercurrent of meaty, industrial sulphur. It’s not a total dealbreaker, but it’s noticeable and unwelcome. Fortunately, the palate gets things back on track. The sulphuric quality is kept in check with more of the focus on the citrusy, fruity, gingery flavors. The mouthfeel is thin and the finish is underwhelming. This is just barely above average for me. It tastes young, a bit sour, and slightly bitter. At almost $70 a bottle near me, there’s no value to be found here. Next on deck is The Twelve. Hopefully it’s an improvement similar to the one found with The Smoky Twelve.

Tasty!