BenRiach 20 Years Old (43%, OB, 2015)

• Category: Speyside single malt scotch whisky
• Origin: BenRiach Distillery
• Bottling: Official
• ABV: 43%
• Cost: £61.33

What they say

This smooth single malt has an elegant full taste and aroma that captures fruity, floral, spicy notes, with fascinating overtones of honey, vanilla, apples, chocolate and nuts.

Official tasting notes:

• NOSE Spicy, nutty, honey, vanilla, floral, fruity with well balanced wood overtones.
• COLOUR Mid-amber, hints of gold.
• TASTE Rounded medium to full bodied, rich honey, vanilla with hints of apples, spice, chocolate and nuts.

What I say

The official 20 Years Old bottling from the BenRiach Distillery, strangely rather affordable considering the current climate of overpricing any well aged whisky. This whisky is the oldest expression in their Flagship range which also contains their Heart of Speyside NAS, 10, 12 and 16 year old expressions.

My tasting notes:

• Russet dark copper (12/20), thick heavy tears drop slowly
• Nose: Antique polished oak wood furniture makes its presence felt immediately, followed by plump raisin and fig notes, cinnamon spice add to the fruitcake mixture or Christmas pudding, further dried fruits such as dates imply malty fruit dumpling, rich dark chocolate, toffee and nutty walnuts
• Taste: Rich fruit cake, molasses, cocoa and coffee, walnut, prunes, dark cherries (cerise noir), dates, pecan, maple syrup and polished oak wood all vie over a malty, sweet honey and toffee backbone
• Finish: Medium-long, fruity and nutty chocolate and cocoa dusting

Overall

A simply stunning expression, made all the better thanks to the sensible pricing. This really is a well constructed dram redolent of the festive period and Christmas-time. A Dessert of a dram.

Score 90/100

Shop for BenRiach 20 Year old  (opens Master of Malt)

Don’t take my word for it:

TOModera’s Whisky Reviews Benriach 20

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