BenRiach Birnie Moss Intensely Peated

Well well well. This really is a no-bullshit dram. As is much BenRiach, but this is an especially honest thing: “Hey there. I’m a young, strong, peaty bugger”. Oh yes You are. And easy too.

In the nose: Freshness, a bit of citrus, oak, and sweet peaty smoke.
Add a spit of water to bring forth some fruitiness. The abv can take it.

On the palate: First fresh and crisp tickles from the abv. It appears somewhat coastal with some saline influence - then the sweet, ashy smoke. With a wee bit of water the iodine become much less dominant and the smoke appears less ashy, but sweeter - almost fruity.

Finish: long and lovely with plenty of smoke lingering along with some oaky spiciness.

This is good bang for the buck.

Someone mentioned Kilchoman in comparison. I’d like to match this against a vatted whisky: The Six Isles, which shares some of its attributes with this one in regards of youth, smoke and coastal character. The Six being fatter and less crisp, equally priced and both very interesting.

2nd August 2019

Intense smoke. Not Ardbeg-smoky, but very close. Quite sweet. And that is the thing for me. Just right amount of sweetness with intense smoke on nose and palate. Perfect!

24th June 2018

For those who love peat. From my most recent tastings it reminds me of Kilchoman Machir Bay. Youngish, not very round or oily or sweet, short finish. Surely it is worth the price.

16th October 2017

Young, lots of peat. Sweet and smokey. I like the amrut peated single malt better. Old ballantruan peated malt is also a better one imo. These two have more character besides the peat. I like using this whisky to show people what peat tastes like when they ask me that :)

2nd November 2016

Young, lots of peat. Sweet and smokey. I like the amrut peated single malt better. Old ballantruan peated malt is also a better one imo. These two have more character besides the peat. I like using this whisky to show people what peat tastes like when they ask me that :)

2nd November 2016

Great light fruity at first with a balanced smoky finish that make you have another! Definitely the right price too!

28th July 2016

"Not what a spaysider should be doing !" -
*believe
*beautiful
*delicate
*Speyside
*course
*being
*hot
* a go

6th May 2016

To the previous reviewer, if you are so concerned with tradition, at least spell the name of river SPEY correctly :) Anyway, there are plenty of peated Speysides, it's no less traditional than using sherry casks or American bourbon casks. I was not impressed with the first dram after cracking the bottle, thin and a bit acrid, but after a few days of oxygen it's lovely and the body has developed. Character is like a sweeter Ledaig 10 or Kilchoman Machir Bay, gently honey sweet, lively and happy, charred smoked haddock on the finish. Very nice, superb for the money, presumably because of its NAS. Really enjoying this, but if you want a smokey, rich and more sherried full-bodied BenRiach, go for the Septendecim.

18th April 2016

I love most things BenRiach apart from when they decide to go down the peated root because I can't belive in most instances or understand for that matter why on earth you would want to peat a beutaful Delacate SPAYSIDE whisky where peat should never be even contemplated to be used in. That should be left to the more northerly distilleries where they specialise in peat monsters because I can't stand the stuff unless it's in my gardens soil which is where it's natural home is of cause and is where it should be left, to fertilise my flowers and NOT my whisky!. That been said I do like Balcones Brimstone where they actually smoke the whisky or whiskey in Balcones case and they actually use wood smoke not peat smoke and its corn whiskey not single malt whisky. I would give it ago if you are into heavily peated drams such as this !.

5th April 2016

...a bit disappointing. Not very subtle in terms of nose, rather straightforward and flat on the tongue. It's not as peaty as one could expect and as stated on the bottle. I consider this whisky drinkable, but nothing more. As usual you get what you pay for

22nd January 2016

I've only had a limited experience with this one (in the form of a 30ml sample) but my first impression of this is that it is a nicely balanced reasonably priced dram.

There is smoke on the nose, but not as much as you might think given its name. It doesn't drown out the sweet citrus fruit cake subtleties. The higher alcohol gives it heat on the pallet. There's more of the smooth smoke, but not heavy, with nice woody flavours without the bitterness. The smoke lingers through the finish, which subsides to leave subtle oak. Often when the finish is left with woodyness, it's accompanied by a tang, but I didn't get that with this dram.

The sample was successful for me! At this price I will be buying a bottle to explore further!

11th April 2014

The pale colour belies the depth of flavour! Strong peaty aftertaste with malty overtones. Very palatable and a snip at the price

25th October 2013

Not too bad but also nothing special. Drinkable but not drink animating.

Thomas & Prem

23rd August 2013

Alright, bad pun. Actually, I bought a bunch of 3cl samples. When I first tasted this, I thought it was one of my more expensive explorations. Then I came to this site to verify. Wow! What a surprise, what a value! On the nose, I detect the peat, of course, though not as overpowering as the name might suggest. I detected moss (is that relevant to the name?), a biscuity malts. On the palate, the first tastes were, for me, cereals, maltiness, with the peat and smoke arriving late, but strong. The finish is smooth, warming, even a little spicy. Yes, this is indeed a remarkable value!

5th April 2013

A slow drinker with a very long after notes of peat and a hint of age old oak . A must for any home

17th May 2012