Benriach peated cask strength batch 1

Nose: Fruit-forward, toasted barley, honey, vanilla, and slightly floral. Palate: Creamy, peat smoke, honey, apples/pears, and warm ginger. Finish: Vanilla, sweet wood smoke, sweet cocoa, dark chocolate, oak, and leather. Overall, this whisky is very well-balanced. All the components blend together, and the light sweet peat smoke remains in the background throughout. It has a lovely mouthfeel and is great for sipping. It was a close call between this and the Twelve for my favorite of the tasting. Both are very good, and very different whiskies. I was impressed at the tasting how easily one could recognize a house style at Benriach. All of the core range and the CS have orchard fruit forward notes with well-integrated vanilla.

Overall a very nice spirit. Aroma: Woody smoke, red fruits, sweet, apple. Taste: smoky, sweet, notes of plum, warm spices, slightly sharp but it dissipates rapidly, leaving sweet spices.

A friend's tasting note.