In 2007, BenRiach launched a series of 3 peated expressions, matured in American oak casks and finished in sherry, port and rum barrels. The ‘Arumaticus Fumosus’ version that I’m reviewing was the Jamaican dark rum batch. Only 1740 bottles.

Benriach 12y Arumaticus Fumosus (46%, OB, 2007, Jamaican Dark Rum finish, 1740 btl.)

Nose: very original. A lot of peat, clean and very oily. Some “fresh” medicins as well (what’s that supposed to mean?) Anyway, this could have been made on Islay. The rum is on a second level. Hints of banana and heather, some earthy notes and dark sugar. Mouth: the peat seems to come and go now, alternating with softer spices. Quite dry. Finish: the spices develop further (ginger, eucalyptus, vanilla), sugared coffee notes as well. Long aftertaste, really dry.

This is one of my favourite peated ‘every day drams’. It had a fair price (€ 45) yet it offers a unique style that I didn’t find in other whiskies. Perfect for a tough winter like the current one. I’m trying to save what’s left in my bottle…

Score: 85/100.

BenRiach 38 yo 1970 (49,1%, OB 2009, Pedro Ximenez finish, cask #1035, 250 btl.)

Nose: Dried fruits (raisins, dates) but lush fruits at the same time (blackcurrants, blueberries). It’s much fresher than you would expect. There are even the wonderful hints of exotic fruits (tangerines, pineapple) that you find in other 1970’s BenRiach and which makes this the perfect fruit basket. Some bourbon-like elements as well: pine resin with a hint of mint. Lovely wood polish. Cocoa and espresso in the background. Now this is what I call complexity! Mouth: roasted coffee beans and milk chocolate. Dried figs. Hints of tobacco. Rather smokey for an unpeated bottling. The sherry is not the usual nutty or syrupy type. It’s rather winey, like a Shiraz or some Tempranillo but it works very well. A little toffee. Hints of redcurrant marmalade in the aftertaste. Finish: dark chocolate with spices. Very long.

This is head-shaking stuff. It’s different from all other sherry bottlings and simply excellent. I would buy cases if not for the price: around € 280.

Score: 92/100

BenRiach 33 yo 1975 (52,2%, OB 2009, Tawny port finish, cask #4450, 648 btl.)

Nose: full of pink grapefruit. Some more exotic fruits as well, I would say mango and cherries.  Raisins. Hardly any peat… A bit of flower potpourri as well (old roses seem to be a common thread in the wine finished single casks so far), maybe even some soapy hints but still very attractive. Mouth: sweet and fruity. Dried fruits as well as more fresh, citrusy notes. Grapefruit again. Some banana. Apples with cinnamon towards the finish. Quite some oak influence and winey notes. Finish: medium long, on berry fruits and grapefruit.

On the one hand this is clearly the same family as the famous 1976 BenRiachs, with notes of exotic fruits and grapefruit. On the other hand, there’s the added layer of port wine notes. I’m sure this will even appeal to people who normally don’t like wine finishes. Don’t expect heavy peat though. Available at around € 200.

Score: 89/100

Recently, The Whisky Fair released two casks that are already legendary.

BenRiach 33yo 1976 (46,2%, OB for The Whisky Fair 2009, hogshead cask #3550, 103 btl.)

Nose: a fresh start on oak varnish and menthol which take a while to fade. In the meantime, notes of exotic fruits start growing stronger. Very fresh, quite citrusy. Pineapple, mango, passion fruits, tangerine… A lot of pink grapefruit as well and a light touch of star anise and nutmeg. A fruit basket with a slightly flowery edge. Not far away from a Bowmore 1968 Anniversary. Mouth: very fruity again, dominated by the grapefruit which gives it a slightly dry edge. Medium oakiness with hints of pepper in the end. Long finish on grapefruit, tangerine, oak and pepper.

You can only have respect for this kind of whisky. It’s wonderful how a 33 year-old kan be this fresh and fruity. The nose of this BenRiach is stunning, the rest is very very good. Around € 190 (sold out).

Score: 92/100

BenRiach 33yo 1976 (47,4%, OB for The Whisky Fair 2009, hogshead cask #3558, 162 btl.)

Nose: interesting how similar casks can play in the same league and still bring lots of differences. Vanilla is the key to this one, the fruit is sweeter and less tropical. At the same time, a bit more wood and more expressive notes of menthol. Vanilla again, fruit cake. More wood influence, which makes it a tad nuttier, “darker” and warmer. Less tangerine, less grapefruit. Hints of ginger. Mouth: now it gets taken over by the grapefruit, just like the #3550. Still a bit more vanilla and toffee. Spicier and more powerful, I would say. Pepper and ginger. Finish: slightly dry and minty. Grapefruit as well, you guessed it.

Well, difficult. Most other reviewers seem to prefer the BenRiach #3550. I must say I like both but the #3558 contains less dominant grapefruit and adds lovely vanilla which make it stand out a bit. The #3550 lacks a bit of punch as well (it seems younger, although that’s a ridiculous way of discribing it). Around € 190 (sold out).

Score: 93/100

Quercus Alba (American white oak) is normally used for maturing bourbon. It’s close-grained timber, very resistent to leakage or evaporation and low in tannins. There is a general agreement that new oak rarely produces whisky of an acceptable quality, but recently there has been quite a lot of wood research and results are getting very interesting.

BenRiach 31 yo 1977 (43,2%, OB 2009, Virgin oak cask #3798, 292 btl.)

Nose: lots of orange peel and fresh orange juice. Whiffs of green banana and vanilla. Also a little nutmeg and freshly sawn wood. After a while there are a few notes of pineapple. Orange infused tea and a little moist cardboard. Not very complex but very drinkable. I was afraid it would be too oaky but it isn’t. Mouth: rich and contemporary I would say. Starting sweet with the oranges that go on and on. Hints of sweet almonds. Growing bigger with some garden herbs and more nutmeg. Spicy vanilla cream. Finish: even more spicy now, with plain oak coming through. Nice development. Chewed pencils in the aftertaste.

If you don’t mind obvious oak in your whisky and you like the recent Glenmorangie oak experiments (Artisan / Astar / Signet), then this should get your attention. Very good although I expected a bit more complexity after so many years of ageing. Around € 165.

Score: 87/100

This concludes my review of this year’s BenRiach single casks. Overall very high quality with a couple of truly exceptional releases.

BenRiach 31 yo 1978 (51,2%, OB 2009, Gaja Barolo finish, cask #4414, 245 btl.)

Nose: starts on bags of nutmeg. The red fruits (raspberry jam), the tangerines, the figs, the (dark) chocolate… from the 1988 Gaja Barolo are still here, but there’s more weight to it. Delicious fruit cake with cinnamon. Rose water. There’s also a distinct toasted aspect and a hint of fresh matchsticks which disappears after some airing. Very good. Mouth: full on. Grapes, all sorts of marmalades and a hint of smoke (tar even?).  Very spicy, with pepper, ginger and nutmeg. Finish: long and coating. There’s an oaky dryness to it, but perfectly acceptable for its age.

Very good. Like a spicy sherry bottling, although the Barolo brings typical red fruits and floral elements as well. Available at around € 160.

Score: 87/100

BenRiach 24 yo 1984 (49,2%, OB 2009, Pedro Ximenez finish, cask #1048, 279 btl.)

Nose: there’s indeed a good deal of peat. A dry, chalky kind of peat, not the “oceanic” Islay type. It’s nicely integrated with the sherry notes of dark chocolate and dry fruits. Nutty. Some sweet liquorice. There’s also an earthy, vegetal odour to it that I associate with liquid brown soap (not sure if that’s known in other countries). Hemp maybe? Or latex? A bit strange but not unpleasant. Mouth: very peaty and smokey. Again some fruity elements from the sherry, but I guess the balance is 65% peat, 35% sherry now. Hints of pine needles and moss. Hints of caramel, cocoa and even dark ale beer (a peated Chimay Blue?). Interesting but not easy to pin down. Finish: long, smokey and even slightly tarry.

I can’t think of other PX sherry bottlings that have this style. Very different. I can’t say that I adore it, but it’s quite unique. A curiosum.
Around € 125.

Score: 86/100

BenRiach 20 yo 1988 (54,3%, OB 2009, Gaja Barolo finish, cask #4424, 322 btl.)

Nose: red fruit marmalade. Nice hints of tangerine. Milk chocolate and toffee. Figs. Hints of old roses and honeysuckle. Very fragrant and fresh. The finish works surprisingly well here. Mouth: the fruits and the chocolate keep lingering. Toffee and natural caramel. Underneath, there’s a slightly sweet / sour vinosity and a toasted edge. Slightly drying finish. Not very long. The grapes stay strong.

The nose was a positive surprise with a successful wine treatment. On the palate, it’s a little too straightforward and slightly vinous. Still available at around € 85.

Score: 84/100

BenRiach 19 yo 1990
(57,1%, OB 2009, cask #970, 195 btl.)

Nose: indeed classic BenRiach style: pears, oranges and subtle honey. Clear notes of barley. Quite fruity and floral with hints of pinapples. Toffee. Vanilla as well. Reminds me of the Benriach 20 yo which is not a bad thing of course. Mouth: punchy attack, mostly the sawdusty oak that’s talking now. The creamy vanilla has grown bigger. Acacia honey. Lemon zest. Spicy notes: cinnamon, some ginger and liquorice. Slightly rummy aftertaste. Finish: not too long, on grapefruit and oak tannins.

A solid, classic BenRiach. No surprises here. Somewhat reminiscent of the 20yo but at cask strength with punchier oak spices. Still available at around € 80.

Score: 85/100

BenRiach 16 yo 1993 (55,6%, OB 2009 for Pin’Art, hogshead – Sauternes finish, cask #2587, 295 btl.)

Nose: starts rather curiously buttery on toffee and nuts. Hints of marzipan. Not as tropical as I thought it would be, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. After a while the expected sweet and fruity notes shine through. Grapes, peaches on syrup, soaked raisins, hints of dried figs. A little water brings out Cavaillon melon. Nice balance. Mouth: thick mouth-feel with a little vanilla. Sugar coated nuts. Quite a refined sweetness although the spices soon take over (pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg). The fruits are pushed aside by the power of the spices. Water doesn’t change this. Finish: dry and peppery, with lots of spices from the oak.

The combination of the spirit with the Sauternes influence is not at all cloying nor overly sweet. It’s well balanced (although a little on the spicy side) and very enjoyable. Around € 70.

Score: 85/100

Thanks for the sample, Serge.

This BenRiach 1984 won a silver award at the 2008 Malt Maniacs Awards.

BenRiach 23 yo 1984 (54,2%, SMoS 2008, cask #194, 214 btl.)

Nose: clearly a peated version, even though it’s not at all monstrous. Nice dark ashes. Smoked ham. Surprisingly coastal for a BenRiach, with tarry ropes and whiffs of sea air. Nonetheless it’s beautifully balanced with marmalade and honey which makes this one very attractive. Hints of diesel oil. Waves of citrus. Very entertaining. Mouth: very thick and powerful. Much more peated. Really dark, almost like burnt whisky. Lots of pepper (red chilli even) but again there’s a sweet coating. Finish: a bit drier, with coal and diesel oil. Hints of liquorice.

A high quality peated Speysider, very muscular. I really loved the nose, too bad I find the peat a tad overpowering on the palate. Sold out (around € 75 at the time so great value for money).

Score: 87/100

For the year 2009 Batch 6 comprises nine vintages:

• BenRiach 1970 38 yo – cask #1035 (PX Sherry *) – around € 275
• BenRiach 1975 33 yo – cask #4450 (Port Pipe peated *) – around € 180
• BenRiach 1977 31 yo – cask #3798 (Virgin Oak) – around € 160
• BenRiach 1978 31 yo – cask #4414 (Gaja Barolo *) – around € 155
• BenRiach 1978 30 yo – cask #7772 (Bourbon Hogshead) – around € 155
• BenRiach 1984 24 yo – cask #1048 (PX Sherry peated *) – around € 120
• BenRiach 1988 20 yo – cask #4424 (Gaja Barolo *) – around € 85
• BenRiach 1990 19 yo – cask #970 (Bourbon Barrel) – around € 80
• BenRiach 1994 14 yo – cask #105100 (Bourbon Barrel) – around € 60

(*) These are finishes. The others had a full maturation in their oak type.

They were launched in September, together with the GlenDronach single casks, but reviews are still very scarce. Let’s change that. I’ll be reviewing seven of these BenRiach single casks over the next 10 days.