Whisky of the Month (June 2011): The Final Duo!

Time really flies and its time to wrap up SGwhisky's first ever whisky of the month! During the past month, BenRiach has been highlighted as our whisky of the month and it was great to see people expressing interest in some of the interesting expressions that this distillery has to offer. In many ways, it is a truly progressive distillery that deserves immense praise.

To end of this month's segment, SGwhisky would like to highlight two special expressions from BenRiach, in hopes that we end the inaugural whisky of the month in style. So here's the final two expressions, the BenRiach Solstice and the BenRiach Authenticus 21YO. 

Name: BenRiach Solstice
Distillery: BenRiach (Speyside)
Type: Single Malt Scotch
Age Statement: 15YO
Alc/Vol: 50%


The BenRiach Solstice was one of the two latest special releases from BenRiach that have recently hit the market, the other being the BenRiach Horizons. Whilst the Horizons is a Triple Distilled expression, emphasizing the smoothness and flavours, the Solstice is a real power house of flavour that shows some of the impressive experimentation that is ongoing at this distillery.

The Solstice is a combination of Heavily Peated and Port Finished experimentation, not unlike the Port Wood expressions they have released. This however, is supposed even more peated and aged in Tawny Port Pipes, before being bottled without filtration or colouring. It is also bottled at a whopping 50%, making it a much stronger dram.

Nose: Wine and peat mingle in an extremely balanced way. Notes of sweetened grapefruits, crushed grapes, and rose bring up the strong winey characteristics, with an alluring dash of peatiness as well. (22.5)

Taste: Sweet winey and fruity entry with notes of honey, rich berries that have been stewed. This is followed by a real spicy and peaty kick before both blend into a nice sweet smokiness with a hint of salted fish and capers! Nice and complex (23)


Finish: Very fruity with the wine lingering on with notes of lavender, rose, sweet pears and strawberries (21)


Overall: Maybe a tad too wine influenced, but to me this is almost like Beauty and the Beast dancing a Tango, with neither really stepping out of line. (23) 89.5/100


Found At: The Auld Alliance, Drinks Fellas

Name: BenRiach Authenticus 21YO
Distillery: BenRiach (Speyside)
Type: Single Malt Scotch
Age Statement: 21YO
Alc/Vol: 46%


The BenRiach Authenticus has always been one of the most well renowned expressions of BenRiach. Peated and matured for a long period of time, it is known for its rich flavours and the mellow smokiness.

Nose: Warm peat mingling with ginger and warm spices. Slightly fruity with some orange and malty sweetness (21)


Taste: Thick, oily and malty. The oak hits with a real warmth and the notes of ginger continue on the palate. The orange note seems to come out as well, but the oak really does dominate (20)


Finish: Very mouthwatering, with the notes of malt and fruity sweetness taking control. (21)


Overall: Nice but perhaps too much oak for it to be a real rounded malt (21) 83/100


Found at: Drinks Fellas

Whisky of the Month (June 2011): The Pedro Ximenez Twins

Whisky of the Month (June 2011): BenRiach


Apologies for being a day late, but here is the third segment of the BenRiach series of tastings for the Month of June 2011!

This week, the pair highlighted are the peated and unpeated expressions of BenRiach finished in Pedro Ximenez Sherry. Pedro Ximenez (or PX), actually refers to a type of grape that is used in the production of Sherry, this type of PX grapes being indigenous to Spain. Recently, PX sherry has no grown into a popular choice of wine casks to finish whisky in. Some people also go on to stress the challenge of finishing whisky in PX due to the strong flavours of the sherry, which have a tendency to overpower the whisky that is maturing in it. This leads to the belief that it is indeed a challenge to mature whisky in PX butts properly, retaining the character of the whisky whilst infusing the subtle influences of the PX.

For this expression of BenRiach, the PX is sourced from the famous Jerez de la Fontera region found in the south of Spain near the port city of Cadiz. So without further ado, presenting the BenRiach PX Twins!

Name: BenRiach 15YO PX Sherry Finish
Distillery: BenRiach (Speyside)
Type: Single Malt Scotch
Age Statement: 15YO
Alc/Vol: 46%


This version of BenRiach was very well received by whisky writer Jim Murray, who gave it a whopping 94.5/100, praising its subtle PX influences. I personally felt it was good, but did not give it that high a score.

Nose: Rich and honied, lovely notes of raisins, malt and cocoa. A sharp wine note shows that the PX is definitely present (21)


Taste/Palate: Great stuff! Lovely and creamy with sweet notes of honey, raisins, wolfberries (almost Ginseng like again!). Refreshing notes of Eucalyptus, ripe papayas with a slight note of the PX sherry (24)


Finish: Sweet and oaky with some more Papaya, but a slight sour note hampers it. Trails off too quickly as well (21)


Overall: Great flavour, but the nose and finish lag behind a little (22) 88/100

Name: BenRiach 12YO Heredotus Fumosus (Peated with PX Finish)
Distillery: BenRiach (Speyside)
Type: Single Malt Scotch
Age Statement: 12YO
Alc/Vol: 46%


The peated sister of the BenRiach PX finishes is good stuff, but in general, there is a feeling that the Peat dominates the Sherry in this case

Nose: Sweet smokiness reminiscent of honey glazed ham mix nicely with notes of honey and malt. The PX influence fights hard, but is left behind sadly (22)


Taste/Palate: Nice and oily with a real sweet sherry kick before the gentle peat comes in. Notes of salted capers, smoked ham, basically the rich saltiness one gets with preserved food. (22)


Finish: Rich and smoky with floral notes (21)


Overall: It is a great whisky, but unfortunately I don't feel it balances that well, especially with the PX influences (19) 84/100


Found at: Drinks Fellas

Whisky of the Month (June 2011): Tawny Port Twins

SGwhisky Whisky of the Month (June 2011): BenRiach Tawny Port Twins


As part of SGwhisky's continuing coverage of BenRiach as its whisky of the month, we proudly present to you the first set of the BenRiach Twins, unpeated and peated expressions of BenRiach that have been finished in barrels that contained Tawny Port.

A subset of Port Wines that are native to Portugal, Tawny Port is aged in wooden barrels using a process that exposes them to slow and prolonged oxidation and evaporation called the Solera process. The result is a sweet and medium dry wine.

Name: BenRiach Tawny Port Finish
Distillery: BenRiach (Speyside)
Type: Single Malt Scotch
Age Statement: 15YO
Alc/Vol: 46%


The non-peated version of the Tawny Port BenRiach is a 15YO expression that is known for its sweetness. It was pretty good stuff!

Nose: The Tawny Port sweetness dominates the nose with notes of burnt sugar, vanilla and citrus. Light hints of malt and smokiness (Phenolic?) (21)


Taste/Palate: Rich with a salty and creamy note, with strong hints of maltiness and winey sweetness before the smoke comes in (it's quite prominent for a non-peated expression) (21.5)


Finish: Slightly smoky and sweet with a mouthwatering barley maltiness (22)


Overall: A dram that is balanced in terms of the quality of the offering, but the sweetness of the port may be a bit too overpowering (22) 86.5/100

Name: BenRiach Importanticus Fumosus Tawny Port
Distillery: BenRiach (Speyside)
Type: Single Malt Scotch
Age Statement: 12YO
Alc/Vol: 46%


The peated version of the Tawny Port is slightly younger, but the peat really does add an extra level of powerful influences that really bump it up beyond its unpeated twin. Definitely SGwhisky's personal favourite amongst the twins

Nose: Rich notes of seaweed are paired with a very very smoky sweetness that seems almost like a great marriage of sweet smoke and port influences. Slight notes of alluring saltiness too (22)


Taste/Palate: Rich and malty with note of vanilla before the seaweed and honey baked ham kick in. The sweetness of the port then comes in with notes of berries and some citrus. Balanced, not over intruding (23.5)


Finish: Sweet and smoky with a hint of dry ash. Almost like enjoying a good cut of ham with a glass of fine port (ok that was a bit too... obvious). Hints of light vanilla too! (22)


Overall: Great stuff all round! (23) 90.5/100


Stay tuned next week as we do the Pedro Ximeniez twins for BenRiach!

Found at: Drinks Fellas

Whisky of the Month (June 2011): Tasting Two BenRiachs

Whisky of the Month (June 2011): BenRiach


The BenRiach 16YO and BenRiach Curiositas


For the first installment of the Whisky of the Month tasting series for June, SGwhisky would like to highlight two 'standard' expressions from BenRiach (though as the introductory post on BenRiach might suggest, when it comes to BenRiach, there is nothing really 'standard' about them seeing as to how innovation is one of the buzzwords for them). Nonethless, it would make sense that the first two would be standard, non-finished whiskies that showcase the 'house style' of BenRiach. So here's presenting to you a peated and unpeated expression of BenRiach, The BenRiach Curiositas 10YO and the BenRiach 16YO.

Name: BenRiach Curiositas 10YO
Distillery: BenRiach
Region: Speyside
Type: Single Malt Scotch
Age Statement: 10YO
Alc/Vol: 46%


The 10YO Curiositas is the peated version of BenRiach's malt that I can only guess is the base that goes into their peated wood finishes. It's a great way to find out more about what BenRiach's peated whiskies taste like without any additional influences of wood.


Nose: The nose is fairly simple with notes of saltiness and some peat, with some citrus and a touch of red fruit, and a little bit of ginger orange (21)


Taste/Palate: Malty and sweet entry before the peat kicks in with a sweet smokiness. Oakiness then comes in with a slight honied note, with a little bit of sweet citrus (20)


Finish: Rich and malty with notes of fruit (21)


Overall: Simple and clean, but nothing really exciting. The 46% strength does add a bit of a strength to it that plays to its advantage (21) 82/100

Name: BenRiach 16YO

Distillery: BenRiach

Region: Speyside

Type: Single Malt Scotch

Age Statement: 16YO

Alc/Vol: 46%

The slightly older version of the BenRiach standard bottlings offer a bit more complexity and depth than the 12YO. It is also another great way to see how the BenRiach single malt tastes like in its pure, unaltered self!

Nose: Rich in malt, spicey and honey with a note of citrs and a hint of sweet smoke. Rich and vibrant! (22)


Taste/Palate: Rich honey and malt again come in with a clean cinnamon spice note and liquorice. The oakiness comes in at the end (21)


Finish: Oaky with notes of liquorice continuing on with some light fruit (20)


Overall: The extra years in the barrels have afforded the whisky an added complexity, but it seems the wood finishes are starting to become the star of the show for BenRiach. Stay tuned to SGwhisky to see reviews on these wood finishes! (21) 84/100


Whiskies available at: Drinks Fellas, La Maison Du Whisky, Quaich Bar, Auld Alliance, Basement 28 (for the 10YO Curiositas)

SGwhisky's Whisky of the Month: June 2011

SGwhisky Presents: Whisky of the Month for June 2011: BenRiach!


Dear readers, as promised in the June edition of Singapore Whisky Monthly, SGwhisky is starting a whole new segment from this month onwards, known as SGwhisky's Whisky of the Month. This segment will go on all month, and it includes in depth views into the distillery itself, its style and, of course, tasting notes of some of its releases! The whole point is to raise awareness of the different brands and styles of whisky that one can find in Singapore. As SGwhisky is quick to say always, Singapore may be small, but it definitely has a vibrant and rapidly growing whisky scene.

So for the inaugural SGwhisky Whisky of the Month, SGwhisky is proud to present: BenRiach distillery!

Credits: de.wikipedia.org

Distillery Information (From Malt Madness):

Name: BenRiach

Region: Speyside

Founded: 1898

Ownership: Billy Walker and Others

Address: Longmorn, Elgin, LMorayshire, IV30 3SJ, Scotland

Website: www.benriachdistillery.co.uk

SGwhisky's inaugural whisky of the month for the month of June 2011 is the up-and-coming Speyside distillery, BenRiach. Founded in 1898 by John Duff (who also built Glenlossie and Longmorn distilleries), BenRiach has had an extremely patchy history, littered with periods of closure and numerous leadership changes. In fact, most of its owners decided to close it almost as soon as they acquired it! This was the story of BenRiach till 2004, when Billy Walker and his partners purchased BenRiach distillery.

Since Billy Walker's takeover, BenRiach has grown from strength to strength, placing itself firmly amongst the most progressive distillers in Scotland. Besides a smart revamp of the packaging and label, BenRiach has also led the way in wood finishes, being one of the distilleries in Scotland who has invested the most in experimenting with wood finishes. 

BenRiach Madeira Wood Finish

The result of this heavy experimentation is a line of wood finishes, ranging from Port to Madeira, Pedro Ximenez to Rum. Whilst quite a few distilleries in the world have experimented with one or a few of such finishes, BenRiach is one of the few that have done almost all of them! Whilst the outcome does differ, with some tasting a bit rough and some being absolute gems, credit has to go to BenRiach for such a great effort to open a new frontier in whisky production.

The BenRiach Curiositas. Credit: For peat's Sake

However, BenRiach's innovation does not stop there, on top of the experimentation with wood finishes, BenRiach has also done quite a bit of experimentation with peat levels. Whilst the BenRiach's standard expressions have only a bit of peat in it, BenRiach has released numerous expressions with whisky containing a higher peat level. The BenRiach Curiositas, and its older brother the Authenticas, are two examples of heavily peated BenRiach expressions.

But wait, who says they had to stop there? Why not use the Peated whisky and finish them in the special casks like we did the normal expressions of BenRiach? Yes, in fact they did! Almost every wood finish has spawned a pair of twins, a peated version and an unpeated version! These twins offer a unique insight into how wood finishes interact with different types of single malt whisky, and how well the flavours blend. 

So what is the result here? SGwhisky daresay the result is a comprehensive selection of whisky that reflects a dynamic and modern leadership and outlook towards whisky. So often this could lead to the dilution of the distillery's character, but BenRiach's standard releases show that there is stuff about the whisky they put into casks for finishing. 

BenRiach in Singapore

As this is a Singapore blog at the end of the day, it is important to show how BenRiach fares in Singapore. It is not one of the juggernauts of course, but it is making inroads, especially in the specialist whisky scene. Distributed by local dealers Drinks Fellas, its owners have tried to increase the popularity and visibility of BenRiach for a while now. BenRiach, for example, was at Whisky Live 2011 this year, and was the only distillery that had gotten one of their very own people to come down. James Cowan shared his insight into the brand, and brought his unique experience to the event.

James Cowan

Whisky-wise, BenRiach also holds a special place for Singapore's whisky market. It is one of a few brands in Singapore to have actually released 'Singapore Only' single cask selections of their whisky. SGwhisky covered the 'Generations 1988' release that arrived in Singapore's shores earlier in the month, and this is indeed something worth shouting about for such a small country like ours!

So throughout the course of this week, SGwhisky will be bringing you tasting notes from some of the distillery's releases. It will taste a few of the twins, as well as some special distillery releases that are worth trying. It will also try the standard expressions, and give its take on the distillery style and quality. Keep your eyes on this space as SGwhisky pulls out all the stops for its first ever whisky of the month!

An Sgwhisky Exclusive: Generations, A Singapore Exclusive

Dear readers of sgwhisky! Today, sgwhisky is proud to present to you An Sgwhisky Exclusive thanks to our great friends at Drinks fellas, a leading distributor of whiskies and other spirits in Singapore. This exclusive is a first look at a new bottling from BenRiach that has been bottled from a cask specially selected by Jack Ong, Brand Manager of Drinks fellas for the Singapore market! Here at sgwhisky, the focus has always been Singapore and its whisky scene, and what better way than to highlight a whisky that was bottled specially for our beautiful country!

Sgwhisky was lucky enough to be present at Drinks fellas yesterday to have a first look and taste of this unique BenRiach bottling, which has been named 'Generations, A Singapore Exclusive' to commemorate the Gen Y Singaporeans that were born in the mid to late 1980s, and the cask that this expression was drawn from was an aptly aged 22 year old 1988 vintage. Whilst this expression has yet to be made available to the commercial market, sgwhisky can reveal that there were only 269 bottles that were drawn from this single cask bottling, hence this would be one special bottling that will be in very short supply! Another unique characteristic of this BenRiach bottling is the cask used for this whisky itself. This whisky was matured in a Barolo cask (or hogshead) from the famous Gaja Barolo winery in Italy rather than the standard American, Bourbon or Sherry Oak casks.

However, as they all say, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, so without further ado, here is sgwhisky's exclusive review of the BenRiach 1988 Generations: A Singapore Exclusive.

Name: BenRiach Single Cask Bottling: Generations, A Singapore Exclusive
Distillery: BenRiach
Region: Speyside
Type: Single Cask Single Malt Scotch
Age Statement: 22 Years Old (It says 21 Years Old on the bottle though)
Vintage: 1988, Cask 4423
Bottle No: 16/269
Alc/Vol: 54.8%

Nose: A rich and luscious nose with no alcohol burn despite its heavy percentage. Extremely sweet with notes of honey and figs (both dried and fresh), slightly grassy as well. With water notes of cocoa and caramel come through (22)

Taste/Palate: If the bite was not in the nose, it surely is in the palate. Powerful, spicy and citrusy on the tongue. Notes of fresh orange, orange marmalade and honey, before the sweetness of figs hits the back of the tongue. The slightest tinge of peat and chocolate bring up a real powerful end (23)

Finish: A lovely nutty and floral finish that reminds me of a nice non-acidic coffee made in the style of a Latte. Creamy, linger and pleasant (23)

Balance: This is not for those who prefer their whiskies well balanced, as it is rich on the nose, robust on the palate and light on the finish, with a complex flavour profile. However, for a whisky that is seemingly weirdly balanced, this works brilliantly in my book! Another real winner for the Singapore market! (24) 92/100


Found at: Drinks fellas (For now!)

Once again, sgwhisky would like to thank Jack and the people at Drinks fellas for the opportunity to have an exclusive sneak peek at this lovely dram!

The BenRiach 12: A Curious Speysider

Name: The BenRiach Single Malt Scotch Whisky 12 Years Old
Distillery: BenRiach
Region: Speyside
Type: Single Malt
Alc/Vol: 40%

This was the first tasting I ever had from BenRiach, and is their standard 12 year old Single Malt. Scotland is, as many know it, the home of Single Malt Scotch Whisky. BenRiach distillery comes from the Speyside region, a region more commonly known for its honied and spicy whiskies. This, however, is very much a general set of characteristics, and even within the Speyside group you will find whiskies with different characteristics. One thing that is rare in Speyside is the presence of significant amounts of peat and BenRiach is one that bucks the trend. Opting to peat their whiskies (which usually means using peat, which is essentially decomposing plant matter, in the drying process of the malted barley, resulting in a smoky characteristic to the whisky), BenRiach whisky has a distinctive smokey/salty flavour infused with all the 'standard' Speyside characteristics.

A relatively new kid on the block to Single Malt whiskies, BenRiach is now a dynamic new brand that is releasing many a bottling in recent years. This Single Malt 12 years old Whisky that was tasted does show that there is much potential indeed in my humble opinion!

Nose: Very much an opened nose that is indeed balanced. I personally pick up honey and hints of spice, preserved orange peel and even a hint of salted caramel. This is balanced very well with the smokiness and malted barley notes, with no aroma overpowering the other.

Palate/Taste: The layers of tastes here are pretty clean and very balanced. Sweet honey, then a hint of spice before the sweet smokiness and saltiness kick in with a hint of dark cocoa.

Finish: Sweet barley notes bring up a very pleasant finish with a bit of liquorice, and an oaky bitterness in the end.

Overall: This is a pretty good whisky, which I personally feel is very enjoyable indeed. I am not a personal fan of peated whiskies, but the smoke and saltiness in this one is nicely balanced with sweetness. Worth a try!

85/100

Found at: Drinksfellas Retailers, The Auld Alliance, La Maison Du Whisky