I wasn’t particularly enamored of Benriach’s Curiositas 10, the previous iteration of its peated entry-level whisky, and the new Smokey version does nothing to convince me that the distiller’s fruity spirit plays well with peat. Blender Rachel Barrie has added Jamaican rum casks to the mix alongside the bourbon and virgin oak, but I found it hard to detect any influence. The smoke on the nose is delicate but not interesting enough on its own to compensate for the way it smothers the fruity spirit so well expressed in the Original 10. The same is true on the palate, which is dominated by a spicy smoke. The finish has a hint of watery toffee. My least favorite of the new range.