BenRiach Sauternes Finish 16 Year

This scotch presents a bit of a puzzle. I detect notes of fresh saplings snapped in half, alongside some Riesling and gravel. To put it positively, it evokes a vineyard after a turbulent spring rain. However, it's a scent that's difficult to extract from the glass, sometimes manifesting as a watery, faintly sweet echo of its potential. Then, there's a wonderful balance of ripe orchard fruit, tannic wood, and toasted malt flavors. It's not excessively sweet, which is an accomplishment for a wine-finished whisky. If anything, it leans a bit too much towards bitterness, and the finish resembles a dry white wine. Unlike the exceptional BenRiach 18 Albariza, I'm quite certain this expression isn't peated at all. Given how well BenRiach's distillate handles moderate peat, I suspect increasing the smoke level would have benefited this expression. At a somewhat steep price of around $100 per bottle, I wouldn't consider this a must-have scotch.

A tasty dram for sure, but it left me wondering where the peat was that I loved so much in their older bottling. I'm also comparing it with another finished offering that brought back wonderful memories of apricots, honey, pineapple, vanilla, and spice. Still, I am very happy to own a bottle.

I haven't sampled many sauterne-finished whiskies. This is one, alongside the Glendronach 12 and the Arran sauterne. I'd need to compare all three directly to be sure, but I'd say this is my least favorite of the group. It lacked the mouthfeel and viscosity of the others.

Nose: Grapes, caramel. Water acts as a softener. Apple taste is hidden. Very slightly smoked.

Purchased on 8/21/14, a friend's birthday.