Some Benriach at random


May 1, 2026

Some Benriach at random

Who remembers the first official Benriach releases from the Billy Walker era, true fruit bombs? The 1971s, the 1976s… Before that, the poor official 10-year-old from the previous owners had gone completely unnoticed, its character being… somewhat non-existent. But a lot of water has passed under the bridge since then, and independent bottlers now seem to provide most of the interesting expressions, at least to our mind. Let’s try a few to test that theory, at random, for a bit more fun…

Today's winner. Sort of. (Christ enthroned, The Book of Kells, Codex Cenannensis, Trinity College Library, Dublin.)

Benriach 31 yo (53.1%, Elixir Distillers 'Macbeth Act I - The Thanes', bourbon barrels, 650 bottles, 2023)

Colour: gold. Nose: nothing but on beeswax and stewed apple and quince, with a light touch of honey and a little almond milk. it is pretty, but without the extravagant fruitiness we had been expecting. With water: we stay on the same aromas. Mouth (neat): rather taut, fresh, on small apples and pears, with a chardonnay side from the south of Burgundy, Pouilly-Fuissé and all that. With water: the same, a little softer, barley syrup. Finish: medium length, a little more on marzipan, with a touch of anise in the aftertaste. Comments: we know some who would have re-racked this into 1st fill or even virgin oak to bring out the mango, but that might have been deemed a bit inelegant, I suppose. A very pretty bottle in any case, but without any major asperities, to my humble opinion.
SGP:551 - 85 points.

Come on then, another 31-year-old…

Benriach 31 yo 1995/2026 (49.6%, Maltbarn, sherry cask, 130 bottles)

Does Benriach need relatively active wood? Colour: gold. Nose: more on wax, pistachio syrup, orgeat, and a box of brand-new rubber bands. Mouth: ah here it speaks more, there is even a Guyanese rum side, low-mark, walnut cream, marzipan, green tea with lemon… Finish: medium length, more herbaceous, cider apples, a very light smokiness in the aftertaste. Comments: despite the sherry, we are rather close to the Macbeth, it is very pleasant, but perhaps not entirely extremely distinctive enough for 31 years of age. But no, it’s a great whisky, no questions.
SGP:451 - 85 points.

All right, we’ll press the point a little and bring out some heavier weapon. Sorry for that silly rhetoric which, alas, is rather in vogue these days.

Benriach 55 yo 1966/2021 (51.2%, Gordon & MacPhail, The Dram Takers, refill American hogshead, cask #607, 52 bottles)

With the wonderful ‘Book of Kells’ label, the most beautiful of all time. To think it dates from the year 800, therefore from the time of Charlemagne! Well, almost… Colour: full gold. Nose: we enter an old library, with old papers, old leather, polishes, rose water, orange blossom, jasmine, incense, a basket of old apples abandoned in a corner and a stack of fir logs sawn during the week. And a little thuja wood… With water: the resinous woods are more to the fore, fir buds, thyme infusion… Mouth (neat): absolutely, obviously, fresh strawberries with mint leaves, peach yoghurt, reminiscences of menthol cigarettes, gentle olive oil, and a marked tannicity but centred on resinous woods, therefore elegant and not too drying. With water: the water relaxes all that, dissolves part of the tannicity at the start (for once!), but the resinous woods reply immediately. Very, very infused mint herbal tea. Finish: long, on black teas, without sugar or honey. That said citrus fruits come rushing in the aftertaste. Comments: we have somewhat flirted with the limits of tannicity, all the more so as the distillate itself was already rather light, but it remains a wonderful bottle.
SGP:471 - 89 points.

Right then, let’s try the younger ones…

Benriach 17 yo 2007/2024 (53.7%, Timeless & Tasty, 90 bottles)

A new version of Manet’s Déjeuner sur l’Herbe, it would seem judging by the lovely label. Colour: gold. Nose: on gentle beer, cider, fudge and a bag of caramel and eucalyptus sweets. A light vanilla varnish. All is well. With water: a little damp earth and flint join the ensemble. Mouth (neat): a copy of the nose, very malty beer, instant chicory, calvados. With water: the same, very much on fudge and coffee toffee. It is very malty. Finish: long, more on fir bud liqueur and still plenty of malt. Comments: timeless, we are not so sure, tasty that is certain. Bravo.
SGP:451 - 85 points.

Benriach 18 yo 2007/2025 (49.8%, Fadandel, refill bourbon hogshead, cask #700193, 109 bottles)

Colour: straw. Nose: once again that very malty side, with quite a lot of beers, some rather hoppy, then fern, fresh cheese with garlic and parsley, and even some… raclette. Seriously, and what is more we do like that. Mouth: ah this is lovely, malty and earthy, then moving towards ripe apples baked in the oven and drizzled with bitter caramel. Finish: long, herbaceous and caramelised. Aftertaste: very malty, with a hint of pear. Comments: a very pretty little bottle, not necessarily hugely marked by the original distillate, yet very attractively malty all the same.
SGP:451 - 86 points.

Benriach 13 yo 2010/2023 (63.4%, Milroy’s Soho Selection, American oak hogshead)

Milroy’s have released quite a few superb bottles of late, so we are rather curious here. Let us expect a few oddities… Colour: white wine. Nose: this is a peated one, there is some slightly warm smoked ham, petrol, tequila… and 63% alcohol. So, with water: ah this is much better, above all very earthy and fermentary, with some lovely touches of cumin. Mouth (neat): oily, smoky, saline, brutal. In short, it is simply not drinkable as it stands, even half a drop, didn’t we accidentally pick up a wee bottle of white spirit instead?. With water: touches of caraway, ideas of black soap, rye bread, shoe polish… Finish: very long, ultra rustic, a tad soapy indeed, fairly peppery, increasingly saline. Comments: truth be told, this is a monster. Nothing is in place, nothing is coherent, yet in the end, it is great fun. That said, we are just not quite sure that our dear descendants will manage to finish even half a bottle before the end of this century. Utterly mad stuff.
SGP:367 - 83 points.

Perhaps one last, as Benriach is starting to test our patience a little…

Benriach 13 yo (58.6%, Adelphi for The Whisky Exchange Whisky Show, first fill PX, cask #38, 234 bottles, 2025)

Colour: copper amber. Nose: varnish and roasted peanuts, shoe polish. With water: earthy, on pecans and peanut butter. Very light menthol and liquorice. Mouth (neat): very good, molasses, maple syrup and pepper. The roasted peanuts are not far away (with a thought for Jimmy Carter). With water: a fine development on sorrel, lemon zest, cardamom and pepper. A touch of shoe polish. Finish: long and more peppery. Much more peppery, and bitter. Comments: of course it is good, it is Adelphi, the official partner of Scottish opticians, as I think we’ve already said. Between ourselves, if you are over fifty and you can read an Adelphi label without a magnifying glass or without using your miserable iPhone, you have the eyesight of a well-fed grey wolf or a golden eagle at the height of its powers. Congratulations!
SGP: 362 - 85 points.

Check the index of all Benriach we've tasted