Review by: ZoidbergOnTheRocks
Here’s a couple of 17 year old BenRiach’s to try side-by-side. One was a special release for The Whisky Shop (chain in the UK), the other is the second (and sadly last) of the Solstice series.
Tasted on 12/28/2020, neat in a Glencairn.
BenRiach 17 Year (1995) The Whisky Shop exclusive
A 17 year old BenRiach bottled for The Whisky Shop. This is a 70cl bottle for the UK market. Matured in ex-bourbon casks, then finished in virgin American oak. No info on filtering or coloring, but BenRiach generally does neither. I got this one at The Whisky Shop in Norwich in 2014.
Distillery: BenRiach
Bottler: Distillery Bottling
Region: Scotland, Speyside
ABV: 53.1%, cask strength
Age: 17 years old. Distilled on 05/04/1995. Bottled in 2012.
Cask type: Four Casks
Natural color. Non-chill-filtered.
Nose: spicy, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, oak, vanilla, sweet banana, honey, apricot, resinous. Bright, spicy, and fruity, especially coming back to after nosing the Solstice. Perhaps a little bit floral, but only a little. With Water: pushes the spice down a whole lot, too much, seems shy now with candy banana at the front.
Taste: big spice, cinnamon, liquorice, oak, banana Runts, medium-ish mouthfeel, honey. With Water: the spice is really diminished, gets thinner, otherwise similar.
Finish: nice intense spice, banana, apricot, vanilla, lots of oak, medium-long mostly on the spice and fruit with a strong oak note throughout. With Water: again, that intense spice is gone, leaving banana, vanilla, and oak.
This is a simple, bright, spicy dram with a heavy oak influence throughout. Too much oak, really. The intense spice is what’s interesting about this one, and sadly adding a few drops of water absolutely killed it. I hate it when that happens. The banana in this is a very sweet, candied version that really reminds me of those little banana Runts. Overall, not bad, but avoid the water on this one for sure.
Final Score: 77.
BenRiach 17 Year Solstice Second Edition
Another 17 year old BenRiach, this one the second edition of their “Solstice” bottling. A “heavily peated” version, aged in ex-bourbon casks then finished in tawny port pipes. This is a 75cl bottle for the US market. I’ve been sitting on this one a while; I’ve just opened it today.
Distillery: BenRiach
Bottler: Distillery Bottling
Region: Scotland, Speyside
ABV: 50.0%
Age: 17 years old. Bottled on 07/10/2013.
Cask type: Bourbon Barrels + Tawny Port Finish
Nose: rich damp smoldering peat, earth, seaweed, cocoa, figs, raisins, currants, oak, vanilla, spicy with cinnamon and a touch of camphor. Damp fall leaves. With Water: similar.
Taste: rich peat, smoke, earthy, dark chocolate, rich fruits on figs and raisins, oaky, a bit of spice but more mild than the nose suggested, medium mouthfeel, a bit of leather. With Water: more chocolate and fruit, a bit dry, a bit thinner mouthfeel.
Finish: peat smoke, damp earth, a bit of seaweed, dark fruits, oak, cinnamon heat, a little dry, leather, medium-short finish on peat, spice, and a hint of fruit. With Water: a bit more fruit, but otherwise similar.
A really nice peaty character to this one. I don’t want to say it’s an Islay wannabe, but it’s got some elements you’d typically expect to find there. Some decent sea notes mixed in with the peat, the port isn’t overpowering at all, and overall the balance is pretty reasonable. Perhaps a tad simple if I’m honest. A nice spiciness throughout. Also, this was good value at ~$70 in 2018, and the Cheap Bastard in me likes that.
Final Score: 82.
Comparison
Order: Solstice > Whisky Shop… also both better than the 2005 12yo SC Peated/Port from the last review.
This is an easy ordering: the Solstice is much better than the Whisky Shop bottling. The peat is very nice and it’s better balanced all around. The Whisky Shop version is over oaked, and a little water killed the interesting parts of it.
Comparing this to the 2005 12yo SC Peated/Port expression from my last review, it’s also an easy call: it was far too dominated by the port, and honestly the Whisky Shop expression is more interesting and enjoyable.
Scoring Legend:
- 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
- 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
- 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
- 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
- 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
- 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
- 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
- 50-59: Save it for mixing.
- 0-49: Blech.
Malt Runners 