BenRiach Septendecim 17 Year

The twenty-eighth stop on the SDT is BenRiach. This Speyside distillery is somewhat of an anomaly for the area. They offer their standard range of unpeated single malts as well as a line of heavily peated single malts. This 17-year-old Septendecim (which means seventeen in Latin, how about that) belongs to the latter group. It has a 46% ABV, a natural golden yellow color, and is non-chill filtered. It was aged exclusively in ex-bourbon barrels. The aroma presents as a significant hit of peat smoke. Notes of bonfire ashes, tobacco, smoked bacon, and brisket. It has a slightly briny quality with hints of tar and rubber as well, but it's not nearly as intense as Laphroaig. It then transitions into a very fruity character. Apricots, peaches, nectarines, and red berries. Hints of heather honey, vanilla, and a mild menthol cooling sensation. As I neared the bottom of the glass, I could have sworn I detected both peanut butter and strawberry or perhaps raspberry jam. Truly high-quality stuff. Pleasing peat on the palate. I'd describe it as more of a perfumed peat rather than earthy or medicinal, though it possesses qualities of both. Smoke and ashes. Also quite fruity. Apples, pears, and grapefruit, all coated in charred bacon, black pepper, and honey. A subtle oak note in the background. Very easy to drink for a 'heavily' peated scotch. The mouthfeel is medium-bodied, starting oily but quickly becoming semi-dry. A medium-long finish with smoky ashes, orchard fruits, and honey. This is a superb peated single malt, the third I've encountered from BenRiach. The others were the 10-year-old Curiositas (the younger sibling to this one) and the 17-year-old Solstice, which was finished in port. This is superior to the Curiositas, but not by a wide margin. However, it doesn't quite match the Solstice, which is one of my all-time favorites. Considering its age, color, and relative peat level, I suspect this Septendecim was aged in more refill casks than first-fill. I need to sample some of BenRiach's unpeated offerings to compare their styles. I have a feeling they would be quite good. Thanks to Lee for the sample. A solid 4.5. Cheers

Sharing this with my eldest child while watching an intense film on this Saturday evening. A sample provided by a friend is what I'm having while we relax and enjoy the experience. A briny peat announces itself with authority, but it's not overwhelming. Digging deeper reveals accents of rubber hose. Smoked cherry wood ham begins to emerge, offering that sweet yet salty savory combination. Subtle honey-vanilla sweetness and savory smoked aromas round out the salty-brininess and prepare you for the first sip. All these aromas unfold over time, making patience rewarding. Oily and dense, cigar ash is the dominant flavor, but not overpowering. Cedar wood and, again, brine with a light brown sugar sweetness provide, similar to the aromas, a salty-sugary combination. A Dr. Pepper soda flavor and a touch of black pepper spice appear on the fade and into the finish. The finish is long and ashy with salted caramels and a hint of drying wood. The balance of salt, sweet, and peat is nearly perfect. A slow, complex sipper that leads you to get lost in the whiskey and your thoughts. Well-crafted. Well-balanced. Well-enjoyed. [Dry Glass: Smoked glazed ham][90/100][Tasted: 7/22/17]

The second sample I shared for Round 2 of our distillery sample group: Speyside's BenRiach 17 year old Septendim. This peated whisky was finished in Pedro Ximenez sherry casks and is non-chill filtered with no added color. It's 46% ABV and presents a beautiful golden yellow hue in the tasting glass. The aroma is remarkably complex - in addition to the expected peat smoke, there's a lovely cigar box (cedar) note along with some fruitcake, chocolate, and vanilla from the wood influence. The taste is simply delightful. It's thick and oily with abundant notes of chocolate-covered nuts, figs, and smoked meats, culminating in a peppery finish. Speaking of the finish - it's thick, oily, and quite long. This is another malt I believe would pair wonderfully with a fine cigar. Ten minutes after finishing my Glencairn glass, I'm still smacking my lips and detecting subtle flavors from the whisky. Overall, this is another success from BenRiach. I'm not certain if it surpasses the port wood-finished Solstice, but it's a very fine sibling bottling that's easily worth the $80-90 price tag. What a great and satisfying dram to savor. 4.6 stars. Cheers, my friends. Happy World Whiskey Day 2017!

I lean more towards the Cascode perspective on this drink. A thin, lemony peat taste, balanced by pleasant sweet vanilla. It's a step up from Black Tartan and Hammerhead, but that's not a difficult achievement. At first, I thought it was comparable to the 21 year tawny port and had vague resemblances to Ledaig 10. Initially rated around 3.25 to 3.5. The aftertaste has a bitter astringency, as Cascode pointed out. Interestingly, after adding a few drops of water and allowing it to breathe, it improved to the 3.5 to 3.75 range as the astringency faded and the flavor intensified...however, the aftertaste remained quite short and average. I've had a somewhat mediocre run tonight, but then again, I recently had a pretty amazing run with the superdrams, so I guess all good things come to an end for a while... I'll conclude this detour of random drinks and head back to the SD territory next, I think (with the necessary palate cleanser beforehand, of course:-)).

Nose: Sharp peat smoke, woodsmoke, tobacco, damp hay, lemon zest, unripe melon, sage. Palate: A grassy, herbal arrival, reminiscent of herbal cough drops. The smoke appears during development along with some pepper and mild chili, vanilla, and chewing tobacco. It has a distinctly oily and rich mouthfeel, balanced by a certain degree of astringency. Finish: Medium/long. Ashes, rock salt, pepper, and mild tannin. It has an interesting smokiness, quite different from the coastal or maritime smoke found in whiskies from the islands, but honestly, I find it more intriguing than purely enjoyable. The first time I tasted this, I thought it was like Laphroaig Quarter Cask but with spicy herbal notes instead of iodine/medicinal ones. An interesting and distinctive whisky that is very well made, but might not suit everyone's taste. "Good": 84/100 (3.75 stars)

One of my most cherished spirits is the BenRiach Curiositas (10y peated). I had been anticipating this one for a while and finally obtained a sample. It arrived just in time, as BenRiach recently updated its entire product line, discontinuing bottlings like the Curiositas and Septendecin. The scent features baked apples and pears, peanut butter, raspberries, peaches, with only a faint hint of peat. The taste is quite creamy, with notes of vanilla cookies, mild peat, fruit bars, and some spices and chilies. The finish is sweet with a touch of ashy peat. It's pleasant and enjoyable, but when compared, it doesn't quite match the quality of the post-2018 Curiositas.