Yesterday our friend Jeroen from The Bonding Dram organized an open bottle day presenting the new single cask series from BenRiach. They were bottled in July 2010 and they’re now available in most markets. Some of them have already sold out, especially the 1976 and 1980 are almost impossible to find.
This BenRiach 1984 is the only heavily peated release this time (the other 1984 seems to be peated as well, although it mentions “Classic Speyside style”). That same year already brought us a few enjoyable peated releases. A sister cask (BenRiach 1984 cask #4049) was bottled in 2007.
BenRiach 25 yo 1984 (51,7%, OB 2010, cask #4052, peated / Tawny Port finish,
265 btl.)
BenRiach 25 yo 1984 (51,7%, OB 2010, cask #4052, peated / Tawny Port finish, Nose: rich, straightforward “Speyside” peat. It’s rounded, rich and smoky but not in the coastal / medicinal “Islay” way. Smoked tea with some resinous notes. After a while, a second layer shows up, with sweet oranges and a little grenadine. Faint hints of strawberry. Nice. A touch of eucalyptus / peppermint.
Mouth: even more peat now, quite huge in fact. There’s a fruity edge but it seems to be drowned in the peat waves. Some resinous notes again. The spices are abundant: bags of pepper, a bit of nutmeg and getting really herbal in the end. Hints of liquorice.
Finish: long, with a warm and peaty character.
This one is a little on the peaty side – it doesn’t feel like a 25 year-old and the fruits struggle to get the attention. I won’t say this often, but a little more wine influence could have helped to find a nicer balance on the palate. The nose is the best element for me. Around € 120.
Score: 85/100