This 33 years old BenRiach 1975 cask 4450 is a peated whisky finished in a Tawny Port pipe. This type of port wine is aged in wooden barrels and has a characteristic brown colour with nutty flavours. It’s more or less the amontillado version of port wine. Port pipes are huge and contain around 520 litres of spirit, hence the big outturn of this single cask bottling.
BenRiach 33 yo 1975 (52,2%, OB 2009, Tawny port finish, cask #4450, 648 btl.)
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