BenRiach 1985 Single Cask Peated/Virgin American Oak (27yo)

This is one of BenRiach’s annual single cask releases, from all the way back in 2013. This is a peated BenRiach which has been aged for 27 years, finished in virgin American oak casks, and bottled at cask strength.

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Distiller: BenRiach
Distilled: 1985
Bottled: 2013
ABV: 48.9%
Age: 27yo
Cask type: Undisclosed. Finished in virgin American oak casks.
Source: Pour at Grand Terminus, Bergen, Norway.
Setting: Unblind.

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Nose: Cherry candy, ripe plum, barky oak, ashy red grape, bay leaf, eucalyptus. So much going on here, but the peat is very well hidden. Only finding it on the ashy berry note.
Palate: Sweet plum, stone fruit, custard - suddenly we’ve gone from Kentucky to Speyside.
Finish: Firewood, dried apricot, vanilla, burning leaves, meaty peat (oh, there it is) and a lightly astringent. Shorter finish than I would have hoped for.
Overall: This is a journey of a whisky. I loved the way you travel from American Whiskey notes on the nose (wood forward) to solid scotch territory on the palate, to almost Islay-like on the finish. This is definitely on the list of favourite whiskies I have tried. What can I say, I love oak. I haven’t rated a scotch this high before! What could have gotten it even higher would be a bit longer finish, it fell off a little too quickly for me. Otherwise, just brilliant.
Rank: 8