BenRiach recently released the latest batch of single cask offerings and I was extremely lucky to be sent a set to review.. Upon further investigation I see there are more peated expressions that not, these are the bottles released in batch 14..

 

2005, cask #2565, 12 yo first fill Oloroso.

2005, cask #2679, 12 yo first fill Port pipe, (peated)

2006, cask #7360, 10yo first fill Virgin oak.

2007, cask #101, 10yo first fill oloroso, (peated)

2007, cask #105, 10yo first fill Oloroso, (peated)

2008, cask #2047, 9 yo port pipe,  (peated)

2008, cask #7880, 9 yo first fill Marsala (peated)

This is the first review so I will concentrate on the 12yo first fill Oloroso cask #2565 from 2005. Distilled on the 10th June 2005 this was bottled June 2017 at a strength of 58.8% abv.

Nose.. This starts off rather subtle with more citrus and caramel than I would have expected.. Then you start to get those  dried fruits, burnt sugars and a little dark chocolate coming through. Fruit salad and syrup, touches of oak, cinnamon and coffee with a hint of liquorice and leather are all there to be found.

Palate.. Instantly spicy with oak and burnt sugars, ripe fruits and plum pudding. Candied orange, pear drops and prunes with a hint of bitter chocolate, coffee and sugared almonds.

Finish.. Spicy but short.

Thoughts.. I was so looking forward to this one.. Not exactly sure how I feel about it. The nose was so inviting, subtle and so different to my expectations but still very interesting, you then take a sip and boy is this a little fire cracker ! The spices and oak are insane, all they want to do is slap your mouth black n blue..  Once the fruits come in on the palate it’s almost an after thought, but they do calm in down slightly..  This is though rather interesting and might take some time to get used too.. Not the sherry bomb I hoped it would be, it is however big and bold in its own way,  it is a real tease, one to test the imagination…

 

My thanks go to BenRiach for the official samples..