Review #: 504
Description: Benriach The Smoky Ten
Spirit: Scotch
Background: Same age as the original, this ten year swaps the sherry for rum but also maintains bourbon and virgin oak in the blend. Obviously, this one also uses peat (specifically from the Highlands) to malt the barley.
Distillery – Benriach
Bottler – Benriach
Brand – Benriach
Selection – N/A
ABV – 46%
Age – 10 Years
Nose – Citrusy smoke with cantaloupe, spiced chocolate cake, candied lemon, nice oak, touch of pepper and sulfur buried in the back
Taste – Vanilla, light peach, chocolate, waffle cone, light caramel
Finish – Strong peat, a bit ashy, burnt dark chocolate, raisin, burnt marshmallow, there is a light fruit aspect in there too. Maybe some mild grapefruit? It’s interesting
Score: 5
Would I buy a bottle? At $55ish, I’d personally go for Ardbeg, but this still has some ashy, meaty aspects without being too aggressive. It’s a good intro into some solid peat at the price.
Thoughts: Much like the regular 10, I think the virgin oak is being utilized really well in this blend. The rum pokes in there a bit too and this really is a nice pour. Decent proof, peat that’s more up front than I expected, and really gave me good depth to dive into for the review. A pleasant sipper.