BenRiach Peated Oloroso Single Barrel is exactly what it sounds like. It’s BenRiach’s peated whisky first aged in ex-Bourbon barrels and then finished in ex-Oloroso barrels. The BenRiach distillery was built in 1898, but then closed in 1900 and remained shuttered for 65 years, at least for distillation. During its closure Longmorn utilized BenRiach’s floor maltings which kept the distillery from being demolished.
In 1965 the distillery was remodeled and reopened with most of its malt going into blends. In 2004 it was bought by its current owners and they shifted the focus to the single malts. Their current line up of single malts has 4 un-peated, 5 peated, 7 wood finishes, 2 premium releases, 5 limited releases and a handful of yearly single barrel releases. Of which this BenRiach Peated Oloroso Single Barrel is one.
BenRiach Peated Oloroso Single Barrel Info
Region: Speyside, Scotland
Distiller: BenRiach
Mashbill: 100% Malted Barley
Cask: ex-Bourbon & ex-Oloroso
Age: 19 Years (94-13)
ABV: 53.2%
Cask Strength | Non-Chill Filtered | Natural Color
Barrel: 7352
Bottle: 345
Price: $150
BenRiach Peated Oloroso Single Barrel Review
EYE
Saddle leather
NOSE
Peat, sour cherries, sherry sweetness, dark fruit, lemony citrus peels with a bit of chalk, cocoa, menthol and a touch grapey with a nutty undertone. It’s a solid aroma.
PALATE
Peat, chocolate malt, citrus peels, tart fruit, grapey sherry sweetness, and a bit of bubble gum, menthol and cinnamon oil.
FINISH
Long peaty fade of sherry, caramel, cinnamon, menthol and bubblegum.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Decent balance, full body and an oily feel.
OVERALL
BenRiach Peated Oloroso Single Barrel is pretty darn awesome, but just reading the label gave me a hunch it would be. It’s BenRiach, it’s peated, it’s 19 years old, it’s been finished in an Oloroso cask and it’s delivered at cask strength with natural color and no chill filtering. It’s among the better BenRiachs I’ve had and if you come across something similar it’d likely be worth your while to try at the very least.
SCORE: 88/100 (B+)
