Benriach, having recently been acquired by American spirits company Brown-Forman, has on its hands a new Scotch described as being an intensive peat experience because of smaller quarter cask aging. Called BenRiach Peated Quarter Cask, it should be available at market soon.
The new BenRiach Peated Quarter Cask, according to the distillery, is a non-age statement release which began as new make spirit distilled from peated malted barley. It was then matured in smaller quarter casks, allowing for more interaction between the wood and spirit to generate “a great depth of flavor and aroma in a shorter period of time.”
Quarter cask aging, similar to the American process of small barrel whiskey aging, is actually an older tradition in Scotland that’s starting to be revived by distilleries there.
“Smaller casks mean bigger whisky,” said Benriach sales director Alistair Walker in a statement. “Using quarter casks allows the intensity of the spirit to shine through by speeding up the maturation process. In this fantastic new expression, the peat combines with the hints of pear and peach to produce an extraordinary fully-flavoured dram.”
Official tasting notes for this whisky are below from Benriach.
Color – Bright summer gold.
Nose – Elegant waves of wood smoke intensify to burning heather with a delicious contribution of ripe orchard fruits. Subtle hints of peaches, cinnamon sugar and a slight herbal note of fresh barley give an added contrast to the unique, rich peat character.
Taste – Intense peat smoke mellows to smouldering peat embers infused with green pear and nectarine notes. Nutty oak and vanilla pods combine with a touch of white pepper and a twist of lime to give a crisp, smoky finish.
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