Earlier in the month I tried the BenRiach 12 Year Old, which at £25 was a cracking value for money whisky. So continuing my brief exploration of this distillery, which can be found buried deep within the Speyside region, I moved on to the BenRiach 16 Year Old. I talked a little bit about BenRiach in that previous post, but for a more thorough profile you can go here.
On to the whisky itself. Colour: Saffron, amber. On the nose: Blood orange, red wine, leather, oak, sweetness, sherry. A very nice buttery, creamy edge.
In the mouth. very understated, but rather complex. It continues from the nose, as expected, with all those same flavours showing through: there’s a lovely, woody, spicy wave that comes through in addition to that first wave, then it reveals a light honey flavour. A touch of pear juice perhaps, tough generally dry. It’s fairly light on the tongue, and there’s a medium length finish with a surprising and bold malt fizz.
Overall, however, it feels very clean and straightforward. And if I’m honest, it’s also a little disappointing – especially at over £35 a bottle, compared to the superb value of the 12 Year Old.
