Curiositas is a 10 year old, peated release from the BenRiach distillery in what they call the 'classic Speyside style'. A distinct malt with great depth and a bittersweet balance.
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Sweet grassy malt, succulent fudge and hints of smoke and heather lead. There's a touch of malmsey underneath with fragrant honey and mellow oak.
Caramelised sugar and strong cereal flavours form the core. Marshmallows, ripe stone fruit and a warm nuttiness develop while peppery spice tingles in the backdrop with green wood smoke.
Bittersweet with slight suggestions of dry oak, beeswax and fennel.
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Good overall balance, roundness, drinkability. Nice peat and smoke, the smoke dissipates quite quickly and it has a nice smooth honey taste, initially sweet, slightly fruity with a background of malty smoke and wax. Quite a subtle whiskey so you have to have a nose for the flavors unlike whiskeys that give a bit more of a slap such as Laphroaig or Lagavulin, but lovely if you like to sip over time. Definitely worth a try!
Great whisky! I love Islay smoke, but this one is a good alternative. However, the SAQ has them at 46% abv, which must help it a lot! I wouldn't buy the 40%, I try to stay away from low abv whiskies nowadays, as they tend to disappoint me most of the times.
Tastes quite smoky and peaty, but a very thin taste that doesn't linger. I was really intrigued by the idea of a "peated Speyside" scotch, since Speysides are generally sweet and smooth - this is definitely different, but doesn't have the substance or complexity of most smoky whiskies. The finish/aftertaste evaporates rather quickly. The branding is a bit suspect - calling it "Curiositas Peat" hints that you're getting something out of the ordinary, but it falls a bit flat. A clever name for an unexceptional product.
I could say this is both peaty and smooth, yet it's rare that I find a Single Malt that has a nose, palate, and aftertaste that are all exactly the same. It is a peaty malt that does not change character at all as it is rolled around on the tongue. The generic peat taste is the beginning and the end of the flavour. Almost like the peat is simply dropped into a flavourless concoction, seperate from a gutless base material rather than complemented by complex flavours. Not worth the purchase price.
My daughter bought me this as a present and I love it. Not as peaty ad the heavy islanders but a lovely balance and a very smooth. I wouldn't even add any water to it
