Neill Murphy, aka A Scot on Scotch, reviews the Benriach Smoke Season, a peated version of the popular Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky.
At mention of the word “Speyside”, you might think of the light, fruity whiskies of Glenlivet and Glenfiddich, or maybe your mind would wander to sherry- dominated drams like Macallan, or Tamdhu. I doubt many of us would automatically conjure up the distinctive aroma of peat smoke.
Peat in Whisky
Peat is decomposed vegetation that has been compacted in damp conditions over thousands of years. Dig it up, dry it out, and you can burn it as fuel. For centuries, the people of Scotland used it to heat their homes, to cook and, of course, to dry their barley when making whisky.
During the malting process, you soak the barley to encourage germination. However, that process has to be stopped before it goes too far, and that means hastily drying the barley again. In the old days, the best way to do that was by suspending the damp grain over a fire. A peat fire, usually. Since that was the most readily available fuel.
From the lowlands to the highlands, Scotch whisky showcased that familiar peat reek, but as the years passed, and new fuel sources became more accessible – like with the 1860s arrival of the Strathspey railway, for example – some distilleries moved away from that peaty, smoky style.
Peated Benriach
The Speyside region became known for a more delicate, light, fruity, unpeated style that many of its distilleries still showcase today. There are some, however, who like to experiment and to look to the past for their inspiration…
Since 2016, Benriach Distillery has been under the ownership of US-based Brown-Forman, but it has been making a peated version of its Speyside malt for years. I’ve always enjoyed their take on peated whisky – for an older example, see this review – and was a bit concerned that the new owners might transition away from that style. Thankfully, that hasn’t been the case, and the distillery continues to make peated spirit under the expert guidance of master blender Rachel Barrie. Long may it continue.
Benriach Smoke Season Review
Benriach Smoke Season is a heavily peated Speyside single malt. The barley is peated to 45 parts per million. It’s bottled at 52.8% ABV, non-chill-filtered and natural colour. The spirit is matured in a combination of bourbon and virgin oak casks.
Tasting notes: Nose is oaky, spic and toasty smoke. Bread baking in the oven. Earthy and peaty, rather than smoky. There’s a saltiness there, too. Like some salted caramel. Touch of vanilla with some fresh fruit: lemon, mango, pineapple. On the palate, heather honey, floral and fruity, with more salted caramel and vanilla. Milk chocolate. Turns oaky with lots of spice and a burst of dry smoke on the finish.
Thoughts: The label says this is the most heavily peated Benriach yet. I can’t really comment on that, but the peat certainly plays its part in the overall experience. It’s more prominent on the nose, only seeming to come through in the latter half on the palate. I like that the whisky still feels like a Speyside; it has that classic, traditional (cliched?) orchard-fruit thing going on, but with a touch of smoke, and the wee touch of virgin oak helps bring it all together, like effective seasoning. Manages to feel like a homage to the past and a nod to the future at the same time. Good stuff.
Price: £52. Reasonably priced given it’s a single malt bottled at 52.8%.
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