Benriach 21 (Chieftain's)

Nose - Mango, honeysuckle, dry herbal and floral notes, pineapple, hay, lemon pith, buttered toast, cereal grain, with mild to moderate ethanol burn. Taste - Pineapple, guava, honey, lemon zest, ginger, allspice, banana, spearmint, cereal grain, dry oak, bitter herbal notes, with a moderate alcohol bite. The finish is medium length with tropical fruit, dry oak, and cereal grain flavors. My final BenRiach is an aged one at 21 years, with three of those spent in a rum cask. The aroma of this is dry, very grainy or chalky. Most of the scents are tropical, along with some pithy lemon. The taste is potent, mostly tropical and citrusy. The graininess is also noticeable. It's quite rich, as expected for its age, but the harshness is surprising. It drinks at, or even above, its stated proof. I'm not enjoying this much. It's austere, and the balance seems off. It's so dry, from the nose all the way to the finish. Those pleasant tropical notes are struggling to be noticed and are largely overshadowed by the bitter, pithy, grainy qualities. Overall, it's better than average, but I can't rate it higher. A big thank you to a friend for providing the generous sample! My favorite BenRiach has been The Smoky Twelve. I would purchase a bottle at its suggested retail price. I cannot say the same for the others.