Benriach The Smoky Ten

This is an interesting whisky. It's a complex mix of interesting (good) flavours. There is a comforting sweetness to counteract the smokiness which is not overpowering but maintains some dominance.

It's not the smoothest whisky I've tried by a long stretch. This would never be able to go toe to toe with the big boys in any of the categories it competes in. But for under £40? It's an excellent drink. Pound-for-pound it's right up there.

I dare say there aren't 5 peated whiskies on the market for under £40 that could get anywhere near this. I think it would still be good value at say £48 a bottle.

If you're into peated whisky and don't demand total refinement, or if you don't want to splash out on a premium bottle. You won't go wrong with this.

The best budget peated whisky I've tried, probably.

3rd September 2022

This is a classy dram. Obviously not as 'in your face' as the Islay peat monsters, but the drift of smoke is a welcome addition to a smooth, sweet whisky. I'm inclined to think that Dr Rachel Barrie is a genius.

19th October 2021

Smoke, apples, oak, tropical fruit, spice.
Bought on a whim from the flash sale: no regrets.

13th August 2021

Very very nice, I enjoyed every last drop! Fresh green apples and gooseberries on the nose entwined with smoke.
Smooth on the palate with a smoked oak, salted butter and a lingering toasted barley to finish....delicious!!

5th May 2021

VERY NICE, fresh NOSE, very aromatic. Fruity, and very floral. Treacle, chocolate milk mix. Big big COCOA powder.
Molasses-y, mineraly, slightly dry RUM is dominant upfront, then recedes and blends itself into the background with aeration, as fruit and PEAT take over.

Candied lemons, lime, kiwis. Green apples and apple drop candies. Pears (with time). Papayas, mangos, pineapple. Red currants. Honey melon. Zesty tropical type fruits I'm finding it hard to identify (certainly from the rum maturation). Gooseberries and rhubarb. Raspberry note (with time). Brambles (blackberries) and black currants. Beautifully BALANCED between SWEET & syrupy and sharper FRUIT NOTES. A fresh green ferny thing (with time). Lime peels, banana peels. Sweet oranges or tangerines, faintly, with time.

Leather in the back of it.

THE PEAT adds a delectable savoriness but does not dominate.

RICH MEDIUM-dark CHOCOLATE, with the peat, on the PALATE. PeaT heaDs will, let me say, not be disappointed here - nor will those looking for a luscious and sweet dram with some depth and dimensionality to it. There's less fruit in the mouth than on the nose; you get the baseline sweeter fruits, but not so much the fresher type ones. Sweet candied lemons most prominent there. Pear drops / apple drops. Treacle again. I'm definitely also getting the applewood that is in the official tasting notes here.

The PEAT and the RUM I would say makes for a very satisfying chewy experience: and one that lingers on the finish.

SWEET, fruity, aromatic, peaty: the SMOKY TEN 1''0, to me, has got it all, and everything in sublime balance.
Good casks!
Very highly recommended.

( One late afternoon neck pour and one very late night second pour. )

12th March 2021

Cracking presentation on this. A lovely bright orange natural colour (as confirmed in tiny writing on the back of the case) and bottled at 46%. Fairly unique 3 cask maturation: Bourbon, Rum, Virgin Oak. Benriach have relaunched their entire core range and each one features a varying cask selection. This enables the consumer to pick one based on his preferences rather than having an entire range dedicated to 1 type of cask. I think this is a good move however I'm not sure if the regular bar fly will be able to discern the various types on a night out. Not a problem at the moment alas.

Nose - soft tropical fruits - pineapple, mango. Wood smoke, not a medicinal or briny smoke.
Taste - Sweet & creamy, smoke arrives in different waves, you feel there is a fight going on between the non-peated and the peated malt elements. Very ripe tropical fruit
Finish - Sweet and spicy. The Virgin oak comes through on the finish and adds some baking spice to the mix. The smoke is evidently there but it is fairly toned down.

Overall. This is a well constructed dram and the 3 casks work very well together. I've seen this previously described as 'A summer BBQ in a glass' - and I think that's a great assessment. You can definitely imagine enjoying one while cooking some jerk chicken outside on the grill whilst a mango salad awaits in the fridge.

13th February 2021