BenRiach Cask Strength a Hearty Scotch at Over 114 Proof

The BenRiach distillery is very much your typical Speyside whisky maker, built by a man named John Duff back in 1898. Despite being so old, BenRiach spent some sixty-five years silent. It wasn’t reopened until 1965, eventually falling under new independent ownership in 2004. It has continued producing quality whisky all the while, and now has just unveiled its first cask strength bottling.

What’s being called BenRiach Cask Strength is a non-age statement expression that was bottled at a healthy 57.2% ABV. It is both non-chill filtered and of natural color, delivering what is said to be “classic BenRiach style” to those who drink it.

“Cask Strength Batch 1 is another momentous and exciting ‘first’ for the BenRiach distillery,” said BenRiach sales director Alistair Walker in a statement. “This stunning Speyside whisky, with all its classic BenRiach characteristics, is the first Cask Strength expression to be added to our core range, allowing us to showcase the true BenRiach style in its most natural state – straight from the cask to the bottle, non-chill filtered and at its natural colour, allowing the distillery’s unique spirit to shine through.”

Official tasting notes for this whisky are below from BenRiach. Should you want to pick up a bottle, expect to pay at least around £56 (about $85 USD).

Color: Gleaming harvest gold with a burnished copper edge.

Nose: Sweet toasted oak spices are interwoven with roasted orchard fruits and dusted with cracked barley. Black vanilla pods, desiccated coconut and a gentle floral note add complexity to the ripe, fruit-laden nose.

Palate: An excellent example of the delicious BenRiach character. Creamy heather honey pours over a medley of apples, pears and apricots. Subtle notes of candied peel and fresh ginger give a delicate warmth and lead to a classic combination of vanilla, toasted coconut and sweet barley in the luscious, velvety finish.