BenRiach 11 Year (2006), Hart Brothers
Whisky: BenRiach 11 Year (2006), Hart Brothers
Country/Region: Scotland/Speyside
ABV: 46%
Cask: First Fill Port Pipe
Age: 11 Year (June 2006, Bottled June 2017)
Nose: Dried berries, pomegranate juice, sour fruit candies, sweet cereal sugars, marshmallow, subtle florals, hints of menthol, leather, and prickly ethanol.
Palate: Medium-light body with sparkling sweetness, dried berries, raspberry candies, strawberry licorice, hints of salted plums and herbal tea, subtle tobacco and leather in the background.
Finish: Medium to short with fruit candies, honey, and tea.
Score: 5
Mental Image: Fruit by the Foot Breakfast Cereal
Narrative & Notes: The aroma opened with a hint of ethanol, quickly fading, allowing dried berries and pomegranate juice to take center stage. A touch of sourness gave the impression of sour fruit candies, but sweet cereal sugars— somewhere between flaky pastries and American-style breakfast cereal— entered the fray with marshmallows, a subtle floral note, another whiff of prickly spirit, and a hint of leathery funk. Medium to light bodied, the palate was smooth and approachable with a malty sweetness and gentle notes of dried berries, especially raspberries, which danced between candies and jam. Delightful strawberry licorice faded as hints of salted plums and herbal tea came on at the end with underlying herbal tobacco. The finish was medium to short with fruit candies, honey, and herbal tea notes.
This BenRiach was one of the better I have had lately; not a crowd stunner, but delightful. It was the sort of inexpensive yet delicious dram that makes for an ideal daily sipper or mainstay malt at home. There were a few slightly off notes on the nose, but that bit of prickly spirit was nowhere to be found on the palate. A hint of leathery-tobacco funk lingered in the background on the nose and palate but did not distract from the experience. Overall, a good experience and excellent value from Hart Bros and K&L. A good everyday sipper and certainly a great gateway malt for the scotch curious.
Image Credit: WhiskyBase
