Author: Josh Peters

Benriach 24 Years – 1997 Cask 15058 is the classic unpeated Benriach aged for 24 years in an Oloroso Puncheon. Which, on the surface sounds like it should be dynamite. Classic tasty Benriach in sherry? Yes please.

Which also makes it a pretty simple, straight forward whisky to talk about up here. So… let’s get to drinkin’!

Benriach 24 Years – 1997 Cask 15058 – Details and Tasting Notes

Whiskey Details

Cask Strength | Non-Chill Filtered | Natural Color

Style: Single Malt (Scotch)
Region: Speyside, Scotland
Distiller: Benriach

Mash Bill: 100% Malted Barley
Cask: ex-Oloroso Puncheon
Age: 24 Years
ABV: 53.4%

Barrel: 15058
Bottles: 641

Benriach 24 Years – 1997 Cask 15058 Price: $380*

Related Whiskey

BenRiach 12 Years – 2009 Cask 3812
BenRiach 23 Years – 1998 Cask 10297
BenRiach Peated Oloroso Single Barrel
Benriach 25 Years
Benriach Cask Strength

Benriach 24 Years – 1997 Cask 15058 Tasting Notes

EYE
Ruddy Caramel

NOSE
Strawberry shortcake, caramel, malt, toasted nuts, vanilla, butterscotch, malt and some waxiness and earthy spice.

The nose is dynamic, but a bit of water takes it to the next level.

PALATE
Buttery caramel, dried fruit, strawberry shortcake, toasted nuts, cocoa, butterscotch, malt, oak, spice, and waxiness.

It’s a slow-building thunder of a palate. It starts soft and builds to a complex array of flavors.

FINISH
Long -> Sunkist, dried fruit, oak, spice and a slight metallic note.

BALANCE, BODY and FEEL
Well, full, heavy

Benriach 24 Years – 1997 Cask 15058 – Overall Thoughts and Score

Cherry cask, honey barrel, call it what you will, this is one. It’s a dynamic and complex delivery that moves deeply from sweet to earthy and does it with grace and balance. This is the kind of whisky I want to sit on my couch and sip after a long day.

Looking back at some of my notes, the only other BenRiach I’ve really liked as much as this one is the Benriach 25 and that was a super tasty BenRiach in my book. This though is about as close to a modern legend from BenRiach as you’re going to get.

SCORE: 4.5/5 (very good, highly recommended ~ A- | 90-93)

*Disclosure: The sample for this Scotch review was graciously sent to me by the company without obligation. The views, opinions, and tasting notes are 100% my own.

The post Benriach 24 Years – 1997 Cask 15058 Review appeared first on The Whiskey Jug.

BenRiach 23 Years – 1998 Cask 10297 is the classic unpeated Benriach aged for 23 years in a Marsala Wine Hogshead… and I’m excited about it. When Marsala is done right it can enhance a whisky and deliver something truly unique.

And that’s the question here. Will this Marsala cask join the memorable ranks of the Bushmills 25 yo Marsala? Will it be as effortlessly tasty as the Knappogue 12 Marsala? Or will it be just another cask-strength Benriach? Only one way to find out…

Now, let’s get to drinkin’!

BenRiach 23 Years – 1998 Cask 10297 – Details and Tasting Notes

Whiskey Details

Cask Strength | Non-Chill Filtered | Natural Color

Style: Single Malt (Scotch)
Region: Speyside, Scotland
Distiller: Benriach

Mash Bill: 100% Malted Barley
Cask: ex-Marsala Wine Hogshead
Age: 23 Years
ABV: 55.4%

Barrel: 10297
Bottles: 264

BenRiach 23 Years – 1998 Cask 10297 Price: $330*

Related Whiskey

BenRiach 12 Years – 2009 Cask 3812
BenRiach Peated Oloroso Single Barrel
Benriach 25 Years
Benriach The Twelve
Benriach Cask Strength

BenRiach 23 Years – 1998 Cask 10297 Tasting Notes

EYE
Deep amber

NOSE
Nutty caramel, malt, cocoa, oak, candied citrus, dried dark fruit, bit of spice.

A more expressive aroma that delivers some nuanced spice notes.

PALATE
Malt, cocoa, oak, dried dark fruit, caramel, nuttiness and some leathery spice.

The fruitiness really pops here and it ends up being something more soft and elegant than the 110 proof might suggest.

FINISH
Long -> Dried dark fruit, malt, oak and spice.

BALANCE, BODY and FEEL
Well balanced. full body and a soft oily feel.

BenRiach 23 Years – 1998 Cask 10297 – Overall Thoughts and Score

There is a slight earthiness that ends up peeking out that intrigues me. On the top it’s a big, dryly sweet whisky, but add a bit of water, let it sit a bit, come back to it and… the nuances arrive. Earthy nutty tones, fruity sweet ones and some leathery spicy notes in between.

A bit of water takes what was once a straightforward whisky and turns it into a more intricate whisky with unexpected layers. I’m digging this BenRiach 23 Years – 1998 Cask 10297 quite a bit and if it were in my price range I’d be snagging one so I could keep exploring what else it has to offer.

SCORE: 4/5 (good, definitely recommend ~ B+ | 87-89)

*Disclosure: The sample for this Scotch review was graciously sent to me by the company without obligation. The views, opinions, and tasting notes are 100% my own.

The post BenRiach 23 Years – 1998 Cask 10297 Review appeared first on The Whiskey Jug.

BenRiach 12 Years – 2009 Cask 3812 is the classic unpeated Benriach aged for 12 years in a Pedro Ximénez Puncheon. Which, if I’m being honest because we’re all friends here, is my least favorite of the potential sherry casks to age in.

It’s not a “deal breaker” for me, I’ve had plenty of delicious PX aged and finished whiskies, but it is the one I just happen to like the least. Not because it’s inherently terrible or anything, but because it’s often too cloying, too powerful, and what’s in my glass resembles leathery brown sugar. Like Port, it seems to be a tricky cask to work with, but, when you get one that’s well-balanced, PX-finished whisky can be quite delicious.

Now, let’s get to drinkin’ and see where this one falls.

BenRiach 12 Years – 2009 Cask 3812 – Details and Tasting Notes

Whiskey Details

Cask Strength | Non-Chill Filtered | Natural Color

Style: Single Malt (Scotch)
Region: Speyside, Scotland
Distiller: Benriach

Mash Bill: 100% Malted Barley
Cask: ex-Pedro Ximénez Puncheon
Age: 12 Years
ABV: 58.2%

Barrel: 3812
Bottles: 642

BenRiach 12 Years – 2009 Cask 3812 Price: $100*

Related Whiskey

BenRiach Peated Oloroso Single Barrel
Benriach 25 Years
Benriach The Twelve
Benriach Malting Season
Benriach Cask Strength

BenRiach 12 Years – 2009 Cask 3812 Tasting Notes

EYE
Amber

NOSE
Malty, milk chocolate, brown sugar, dried dark fruit, oak, graham.

Kind of light, even with water there isn’t a ton happening, but what is, is nice.

PALATE
Oaky, malty, dried orchard fruit, char, brown sugar and some Sunkist fruit gems with a bit of baking spice and tannic bite.

It’s a nice warm flavor, but kind of odd the way the oak is prominent here, it reminds me a bit of a very good American Single Malt with the tannic bite.

FINISH
Med-Long -> Oaky, dried fruit and baking spice fade out with a bit of cocoa and brown sugar.

BALANCE, BODY and FEEL
Decent balance, medium-full body and a warm oily feel.

BenRiach 12 Years – 2009 Cask 3812 – Overall Thoughts and Score

Oaky brown sugar… this is nice. It’s a bit odd, it’s interesting, it’s different for a PX, but it’s also nice. The overall, slightly-tannic, profile I associate more with American Single Malt Whiskey. Still, there is a bit more of a refinement to it that isn’t easily found in its American counterparts.

What I’d really like to see is this BenRiach 12 Years – 2009 Cask 3812 done with the peated mash bill instead of the unpeated. With how heavy and bold PX can be I feel a peated spirit could hold up to this better and bring even more complexity to this equation.

SCORE: 3.5/5 (tasty, worth checking out ~ B | 83-86)

*Disclosure: The sample for this Scotch review was graciously sent to me by the company without obligation. The views, opinions, and tasting notes are 100% my own.

The post BenRiach 12 Years – 2009 Cask 3812 Review appeared first on The Whiskey Jug.