This scotch puzzles me a little bit. I smell a lot of fresh saplings, snapped in half, along with some Riesling, and gravel. To describe it in the best light, it's a vineyard after a fitful spring rain. But it's a hard scent to pull out of the glass, and at times manifests as a watery, faintly sweet echo of its best self. Then there's a wonderful harmony of flavors of ripe orchard fruit, tannic wood, and toasted malt. It's not overly sweet, which is an achievement in a wine-finished whisky. If anything, it hews a little bit too far on the side of bitterness, and it finishes like a dry white wine. Unlike the spectacular BenRiach 18 Albariza, I'm pretty sure this expression is not peated at all. Given how well BenRiach's distillate takes to some moderate peating, I suspect it would have been to this expression's benefit to up the smoke level a little. At or around a pricey $100 a bottle, I wouldn't classify this as a must-have scotch.
About this bottle
Release in very limited quantities, this non-peated BenRiach is aged initially in ex-bourbon barrels before being transferred to ex-Sauternes casks for 30 months. The Sauternes in question is from the famed Château d’Yquem, one of the world's most esteemed estates. This dessert wine has flavors of apricot, honey, and peach and is made with white grapes that have developed a "noble rot". This fungus causes the grapes to raisin and provides a distinct flavor in the wine.
How it tastes
Measured across 14 flavor axes. Tap a note to find other bottles that lead with it.
Reviews
Showing the most detailed of 5 parsed reviews.
A tasty dram for sure but left me wondering...where was the peat I loved so much in their 21yr Authenticus bottling? I am also comparing it with the Bruchiladich 16yr Cuvee B which was their Paulliac finished offering that gave some wonderful memories of apricots, honey, pineapple, vanilla and spice. Still, I am very happy to own a bottle.
I haven't tried a lot of sauterne finished whiskies. This the glendronach 12 and the Arran sauterne. I'd have to compare all three together to confirm but I'd say this would be my least favorite of the three. Didn't have much mouth feel or viscosity the others did
Nose : grapes. Caramel. Water acts as a softener. Apple taste hidden. Very slightly smoked
Bought on 8/21/14 Caleb's birthday
Tastes like this
Closest flavor profiles across the whole catalog.
