Scotch Whisky Review #451: BenRiach 12 Year Peated / Port Wood (2005)
Image Credit: /u/_asipper.
Distillery: Benriach.
Region: Speyside.
Age: Distilled on February 16th, 2005 and bottled in October 2017.
ABV: 53.1%.
Cask Type: Port Pipe.
Color: 1.6, Mahogany / Henna Notes.
This review came from a whisky /u/_asipper blinded me with. There were no hints, the only identifier was the word “Community”.
Nose: It is quite fruity with notes of cooked/stewed fruits. Stewed plums and cranberry sauce are what come to mind most. A bit of peat and some minerals lurk in the background.
Palate: This is definitely peated, you get a lot of wonderfully savory and meaty notes in the form of steak juices. There’s a tangy, slightly spicy, note that reminds me a lot of shrimp cocktail sauce. Some soy sauce comes in as well. Adding a touch of water doesn’t seem to do a lot beyond bringing out a little bit of sweetness in the form of a sweet wine.
Finish: Pretty short. A smidge of mineral water but not a lot going on.
Guess: Scotland. Malt. Islay. Bruichladdich. Sherry Cask. Aged 10-14 Years. 50-55Ùª ABV.
Reveal: Benriach 12 Year Peated / Port Wood (2005).
Conclusion: This might be one of the first port whiskies where I’ve not gotten a lot of the cask influence. I would have expected a lot of red fruit notes, which there is a bit of in the nose but no where else, or perhaps some sweet/tangy/savory notes of balsamic vinegar/reductions. There is a lot going on here to like though, the various sauces on the palate are quite nice. I wish the nose had a little more to give and that there would be anything on the finish, but it is certainly tasty. Not bad at all!
Final Score: 80.
Scotch Whisky Review #451, Speyside Review #162, Whisky Network Review #608
Scoring Legend:
- 96-100: The perfect dram, nectar of the gods.
- 90-95: Near perfect, there is something truly special about this whisky and I will always try to keep a bottle of this in my collection if feasible.
- 85-89: Very good to amazing, almost the complete product and I’m likely wanting a bottle or two.
- 80-84: Quite good, pleasant overall though there is usually a few things that could be improved still.
- 75-79: Good, enjoyable to drink but ultimately flawed.
- 70-74: Alright, solid and wouldn’t go out of my way to get it.
- 60-69: Meh, still drinkable.
- Below 59: If you have a bottle of this, start cooking with it instead.
Scotch & Sheen 
