BenRiach Authenticus 30 Year Old A New Old Peated Whisky

The BenRiach distillery in Scotland, it is said, began back in the 1970s to distill a portion of its whisky using peated malted barley in a style reflective of Speyside malts made during the nineteenth century. Some of the whisky aging there still is peated, dating back as far as 1975, and some of the older stock is now being released as a 30-year-old expression.

The new BenRiach Authenticus 30 Year Old, according to those behind it, has been distilled from peat “cut in the North-East of Scotland, containing a prevalence of wood derived from ancient trees, heather and bracken. The burning of this peat releases sweet smoke and aromatic spices through the malt and into the whisky, reminiscent of a campfire in a Speyside forest.” It is non-chill filtered, of natural color and bottled at 46% ABV.

Plans call for this three decades old expression to be released at a price point of £400, or about $535 USD. It follows on the heels of a peated range first started by BenRiach Curiositas 10 years old in 2004, which remains part of the core BenRiach peated offerings today. You’ll find limited official tasting notes at the end of this story for your consideration.

“At the BenRiach Distillery we pride ourselves on our unconventional distilling philosophy, creating unpeated, peated and triple distilled malt whisky,” said BenRiach Distillery Master Blender Rachel Barrie in a prepared statement. “As the oldest expression in our peated range, we believe Authenticus 30 years old will impress with its distinguished profile.”

It is a more intense Speyside malt which carries a delightful balance of wild honey and peat on the nose. The combination of the soft, creamy vanilla, summer fruits and slight hint of cocoa coax the palate, while the infused sweet peat builds gradually to complete the unique character.