BenRiach 17-year-old

Overall rating
87.23/100
votes
929
Whiskybase ID
WB29410
Category
Single Malt
Distillery
Bottler
Distillery Bottling
Bottling serie
Solstice - Edition 2
Bottled
2011
Stated Age
17 years old
Casktype
Bourbon Barrels + Tawny Port Finish
Strength
50.0 % Vol.
Size
700 ml
Bottle code
LD 31460
Barcode
5060088793725
Added on
16 jan 2012 6:36 pm
UncoloredNon-chillfiltered
BenRiach 17-year-old
Photo by Whiskybase Shop

Average value

€ 289.30

Found 4 online shops. Lowest price:

€ 180.00
United Kingdom Whiskys.co.uk £ 249.00
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Whisky reviews for BenRiach 17-year-old

121 users have left 136 reviews for this whisky. Average rating is 87.23 points.

  1. EvilAFI scored this whisky 88 points Expert Senior

    Great peat and sweet balance, abv keeps the finish going. If you like smoky it is a good representation.
    • Nose
      87 87
      Peat smoke, sweet blue and blackberries, oak, vanilla
    • Taste
      89 89
      Smokey with sweet creamy blackberrys, oak is there but not overwhelming, nothing over powers.
    • Finish
      88 88
      Everything in the palate remains, and slowly fades with a wonderful heat.

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  3. Gareth74 scored this whisky 83 points Expert Senior

    2B or not 2B - my pencils are on fire

    Tasted blind - cheers Ilja!

    Did you ever burn a pencil when you were younger? They had a peculiar smell as the varnish and paint and tinder dry wood burnt. Did you ever chew on them just to feel the pristine outer shell crack under your teeth? I’d find myself rotating a bitten pencil to ensure the damage was uniform around the end and whilst doing it I’d cogitate over the strange smell and flavour that pencils had, even now thinking about it brings back that unique odour and flavour and I can see my mangled Staedtler Noris pencils in all their yellow and black glory. That kind of special burning pencil flashback is where I’m starting wit this stuff. It took me right back.

    Before it goes up the nose it has to be said it’s got a really pretty colour to it. There a nice pinky orange tint to the liquid that make me think this is partly or wholly spent it’s life somewhere a little grape shaped. Let’s see, off we go.

    On the nose and the smoke is the burnt pencil wood variety up front and then it subsides, rolls off the desk to reveal a gentle peat that is married to a big whack of wine barrel fruit. Red berries and a nice sourness, some saltiness and a bit of bike tyre innertube mingle nicely together. There’s also a nice matchbox note that seems to be be mixed together with a very feint chlorine/swimming pool whiff. Coming back to it after a few minutes and the pencil thing on the nose is even more striking, I’m getting well abused pencil cases and there’s a soft, round woody musky note that I just can’t put my finger on. It’s a very strange nose. It’s not typical at all and although there are lots of smells I can pick out it just doesn’t smell remotely like any whisky I’ve ever smelt before. Interesting. Going back to the empty dry glass and there’s a dirty, vegetal funky note. More pencils. Not the most pleasant. Almost like diesel oil in some respects, the wife swears it smells of tar. Very odd.

    In the mouth and I swear I’ve had something like this before. There’s a strange vegetal note that accompanies the arrival. It’s sweet and winey, there’s a lot of orange oil for a split second and then some damp dunnage funk, some glue and shavings of ginger arrive. Spicy. The heat builds quickly and things turn woody, pencil shavings and a bitterness arrives with some salinity and sherry-like nuttiness and old leather. The dunnage and vegetal note remains in the mix however. It’s very drinkable but also quite unique and odd. I can see this putting a lot of people off as it’s so contradictory. Rather than feeling like a composed, unified whisky that goes through the motions it feels like 2 whiskies bolted together. A strange beast to be sure.

    Is it any good? Yes and no. It feels like it needs longer to find that harmonious balance and lose some of the tensions between the nose and palate and tame some of the more undesirable elements in the nose. Would more time actually achieve this? - er, who knows.

    Blind guess for this blind dram - it’s got that Michel Couvreur thing about (a certain mustiness with a vegetal note) it but I could be wrong. Looks like I was!

  4. Totoro scored this whisky 83 points Connoisseur

    Very autumnal, rugged whisky, but the decent maturation time has sanded off the roughest edges.

    A curious mixture of sweet port and tart, herbal and earthy smoke.
    • Nose
      86 86
      Deeply peated, with an earthy, vegetal mustiness: damp forest floor, rotting leaves and branches, petrichor. Jammy red fruit as a counterpoint: blackcurrant, bramble, raspberry. A touch of rubber (new gumboots) and freshly crushed herbs (rosemary, camphor).
    • Taste
      81 81
      Punchy attack – Benriach can be a bit hot, especially when bottled at 50%, and this one's a prime example. It kind of fits the rugged profile though: this is no charming, fine-boned Speysider but a rough-and-tumble peater to revive you after a long walk in the rain or some hours spent outside in the cold.
      Peppery and smoky upfront, then more and more sweetness comes through (Benriach's other identifier), and it ends almost saccharine, with impressions of sugared pink grapefruit, raspberry jam and honey. Burnt, smoky bacon with maple syrup?
      I like the first half of the flavor development best; the second part is too sweet for me.
    • Finish
      83 83
      An almost cloying sweetness at first, which gives way to heavy smoke and some fleeting, tart herbal impressions (fennel and anise, camphor). Very long.

  5. ThorstenH scored this whisky 88 points Connoisseur

    The description of pollen flight fits very well.
    • Nose
      90 90
    • Taste
      88 88
    • Finish
      87 87

  6. gaboruso scored this whisky 88 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      88 88
    • Taste
      88 88
    • Finish
      87 87

  7. Horror_Vacui scored this whisky 88 points Expert Senior

    Nose:
    The smoke is directly present and goes in the direction of the campfire that someone threw a load of Erika into.
    Very floral and herbaceous.
    In contrast, a smoothie made from strawberries, blackberries, sweet red apples and cherries. Some brown sugar.
    Somewhat damp, musty wood with hand warmth, but as a subtle note that brings in an interesting aspect, not penetrative or even as a false note.

    Mouth:
    Nicely integrated alcohol. Potpourri of dark fruits and berries, lots of plums, woody-ashy smoke with a herbal note.
    Herb candy. Lies oily in the mouth.

    Finish:
    It ebbs away fruity-sweet, but the malt also becomes tart-bitter in the finish. Coffee beans in dark chocolate and espresso.

    88/100

    Conclusion:
    Really nice whisky, I like it very much. The bitter finish came as a bit of a surprise, especially the very fruity-smoky taste.

  8. Saftkenner scored this whisky 89 points Expert Senior

    Great bottling with great drinking strength and (previously) with an almost unbeatable price-performance ratio. Complex interplay between strong, sweet fruits and the herbal smoke typical of Benriach, which differs so wonderfully from that of the Islay and Inselmalts.
    • Nose
      88 88
      Powerful and very herbal smoke. Campfire, burnt cabbage, a hint of ham, damp straw. In addition, sweet and dark fruit notes. Pickled plums, sugared cherries, spicy oak, vanilla, pipe tobacco, tangerine cream cake. As it gets warmer (the nose has faded out the smoke), more tropical fruit notes are added. Mango syrup, passion fruit nectar, limes, lychee.
    • Taste
      89 89
      Very oily and powerful. Stimulates salivation, very well integrated alcohol.
      Pleasant smoke, burnt herbs, plums, walnuts, pickled dark cherries, passion fruit, juicy chocolate cake, some ash, oak spice, forest honey.
    • Finish
      89 89
      Medium to long. Dark chocolate, cherries, oak seasoning, cold ash (not unpleasant), vanilla, espresso. 15 minutes after the last sip, add honey-mixed carrot juice.

  9. Whisky Hamster scored this whisky 87 points Expert Senior

    For me, together with other single cask peated Benriachs from port pipes the epitome of peated port malt. Decent age + abv. Good to still have one in stock. Hope they bring Solstice back one day.

  10. the_muskox scored this whisky 90 points Expert Senior

    Yeeeahhhh, this is excellent. This is like a smoky hot chocolate with dried berries and grilled meat and spices. Who can say no to that? I feel like I should be enjoying this outdoors with mittens and earmuffs.

    Nose: Wooh, I could smell this one from across the room. Thick, heavy peat, reminding me most closely of Ardbeg or Kilchoman, though I’m not finding much of a briny note. Bacon, creosote, barnyard, and beef jerky. The port notes do come through strongly. There’s brown sugar, banana, lack licorice, wine gums, and grape Pixie Stix. There’s this real earthy-sweet almost autumnal character that comes out with time: apple cider, smoked paprika, roast nuts, peppermint, and honey. A hint of dried blueberries and raspberries, maybe some cherries as well. All encased in dark chocolate, perhaps?

    Palate: Warming and silky texture. Arrives sweet-tart with apple, applewood, berry, grape candy, and a mineral note. As the smoke builds, this charred pastry note emerges, along with more grape, peach, and candied citrus. Develops to heavy spiced peat smoke, with Band-Aids and that Ardbeg-y earthy character. There’s a smoky horseradish note right in the middle, but it’s fresh horseradish, which, if you’ve never had it, is much sweeter and earthier than the pickled stuff. Sweet woodsmoke next, then beef jerky and black pepper. It resolves to lots of earthy chocolatey notes, with some blackberry. There’s this earthy dried-leaves character than underlies everything, as well as a sort of cooked fruit base.

    Finish: Grape, apple, molasses, peat smoke (more coastal here), Band-Aids, and tobacco. A bit of a carbolic, gasoline sort of note. More of a cranberry character to the berries. A touch of cinnamon and potpourri. Wow, here’s a specific triggered memory: on Passover, it’s customary to eat a sandwich composed of raw horseradish and charoset, which is a sort of apple-wine-nut-spices chutney kind of thing, in between two pieces of matzah (the hand-made kind, which tastes like old leather). Maybe this finish isn’t exactly that, but that’s what it reminds me of. Lingering smoked chili, ginger, green tea, and raspberry.

  11. Astrid scored this whisky 88 points Connoisseur

    Nice but not optimally balanced fullness of aromas due to a well-set finish. The alcohol is a bit too noticeable.
    • Nose
      88 88
      fine campfire smoke and greasy, almost oily smoked ham, thick and dirty, caramel and brown rock candy, on the one hand very fruity and sweet with raisins and other dried fruits, apricot, plum syrup, cherry jam, strawberry juice, a little orange and banana, apple, on the other hand also spicy with a subtle Oak wood, vanilla, hazelnut, cinnamon and clove, sponge cake, dark chocolate, blossom honey
    • Taste
      88 88
      fruity start with lots of campfire ash, spicy oak wood with clove and cinnamon, smoked malt, caramel, slightly greasy and oily, maritime notes with salt implications, sweet raisins, orange, a little vanilla and bitterness from the barrel wood, hazelnuts, hints of menthol, cherry and strawberry, Flowerhoney
    • Finish
      87 87
      long and warm, slightly dry and earthy, ground cloves and spicy oak, campfire ash and smoked malt, vanilla, cocoa powder, wild berries and prunes, black pepper, some black smoked ham, pine needles, menthol, slightly nutty

  12. MGHOW scored this whisky 87 points Member Senior

    Barley sugar confections and mineral peat on the nose.

    A very traditional tasting minerally peaty whisky. The peat isn't explosive and fusile, but traditional, like a peaty whisky from the 60's or 70's. A powerful fruity whisky on candied orange and tastes of vanilla and caramelised pecans, like a certain famous brand of ice-cream.

    Long liquorice candy finish, perfectly balanced between very mild dryness and juiciness. Very pleasant.

  13. DennisV scored this whisky 86 points Expert Senior

  14. MartinMueller scored this whisky 95 points Member Senior

    Perfect balance between smoke and port

  15. The_Independent scored this whisky 86 points Expert Senior

    —- blind tasting —-

    Conclusion: a heavy smoker, I think quite young. Could have been a port barrel.
    • Nose
      Intense, aromatic smoke, sweet, red fruits. The alcohol stings a little. Over time I notice a little toffee.
    • Taste
      Very strong onset, voluminous and heavy, sweet and bitter, licorice, mineral ash.
    • Finish
      Intense and quite long, very spicy, furthermore the liquorice and the light ash.

  16. Monte Gehro scored this whisky 88 points Expert Senior

    Very pleasant and strong smoker. It is unfortunate that this quality is no longer bottled.
    • Nose
      Medium smoke, fresh, some iodine, sea breeze. Plus lots of sweet fruit, mainly grapes, oranges.
    • Taste
      Sweet and fruity appearance, immediately biting on the tongue, a little smoke (less than in the nose). On the second sip, significantly more smoke can be felt. Then a lot of sweet grapes again.
    • Finish
      Long and sweet, accompanied by a mild dry smoke. Warms enormously.

  17. rottendon scored this whisky 88 points Connoisseur

    Very pleasant representative, whose bitterness must find friends in the aftertaste.

    Notes from a blind tasting.
    • Nose
      87 87
      A dark fruity, slightly smoky, greasy note forms the beginning, along with a few herbs and gently tickling alcohol. After a while, more saturated, more fruit, slightly fermented, the alcohol no longer tickles. The smoke has also decreased significantly. It is warmed a little soapy, the fruits become lighter, some disinfectant and iodine are added, all in all quite appealing.
    • Taste
      88 88
      Quite strong start, nice oily mouthfeel, moderate malty peat sweetness at the beginning, it dries off clearly at the back. In between there are also fruity notes with a slight acidity. Liquorice and menthol.
    • Finish
      88 88
      In the finish it dries further, becomes quite tart, but it doesn't look like oak, more like young peated malt. It gets a little salty. Quite a long time overall.

  18. mothers_finest scored this whisky 91 points Expert Senior

    Tried again after a few years ...

    Still a top malt and really one of my favorites ...
    • Nose
      88 88
    • Taste
      91 91
    • Finish
      87 87

  19. wisekyofcourse scored this whisky 86 points Connoisseur

    combination of meat, smoke, bacon, iodine, grassy, caramelized and fruity candied.
    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      85 85
    • Finish
      87 87

  20. EnjoyLife89 scored this whisky 90 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      Smoke; a fruity, dry wine note and shortly afterwards a fruity sweetness, which immediately stimulates the production of saliva.
      The smoke is wonderfully integrated and reminiscent of freshly extinguished fire.
    • Taste
      Smoke, bacon; sharp / spicy; then follows dry wine; then sweet sweet wine, which stays longer. Furthermore sweet, fruity and also a slight nut note shows up. The smoke is there, but not dominant and does not outshine anything.
    • Finish
      Smoke; Nut; again the fruity wine note, first slightly sweet, then it gets a little drier. The smoke becomes campfire smoke again; the oak becomes slightly bitter, but in no way disturbing.
      Very well done.

  21. TechnOBY scored this whisky 86 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      86 86
    • Taste
      86 86
    • Finish
      85 85

  22. dramspotter scored this whisky 71 points Connoisseur

    Blind tasting; this was my second exposure to this Solstice and although this second score is higher than the first, I still do not see the appeal of this whisky.
    • Nose
      bacon, heavy peat
    • Taste
      peat, fighting port & peat
    • Finish
      medium

  23. Tom na Gruagaich scored this whisky 80 points Connoisseur

    Nose: a lot of sweetness in the nose, slightly less notes, liquorice and of course peat smoke.
    Mouth: very very strong. That must be cask strength. Much peat and sweetness to the sharpness.
    In the finish, then some nutty notes and still a few flavors, some plastic. Then peat again, but not so intrusive.

  24. dRambo scored this whisky 83 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      85 85
    • Taste
      82 82
    • Finish
      82 82

  25. Mannix65 scored this whisky 87 points Connoisseur

    successful port finish
    • Nose
      superficially a cowshed, slurry tanker, manure - changes after a few minutes to ashes and glowing logs, which were extinguished with water, the port nose is clearly noticeable, strawberry-raspberry mix
    • Taste
      red grapes, barbecue sauce, clear smoke in a bed of red sweet fruits
    • Finish
      sweet, medium long - like a glass of heavy red wine by the campfire

  26. Mannix65 scored this whisky 87 points Connoisseur

  27. joep scored this whisky 85 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      85 85
    • Taste
      87 87
    • Finish
      85 85

  28. ctu scored this whisky 87 points Connoisseur

    Pleasant fruity, oaky, smoky combo. Port finish works well.
    • Nose
      Smoked ham, camphor, forest fruits and salted caramel.
    • Taste
      Powerful. Pepper, sweet fruits, smoke, spicy oak and vivid acidic wine notes.
    • Finish
      Long, smoky, oaky, spicy.

  29. HammerHead scored this whisky 88 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      89 89
    • Finish
      87 87

  30. Pulliworm scored this whisky 87 points Member Senior

    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      86 86
    • Finish
      88 88

  31. Achany scored this whisky 86 points Connoisseur

    nice peat. not that peat monster like some Islay malts but gentle, organic peat. some bacon, "cold" smoke. that combined with a nice fruity, grapes, some fudge and vanilla. oaky and a fine peppery note. Nice gently peated dram!
    • Nose
      85 85
    • Taste
      87 87
    • Finish
      86 86

  32. LiquidThoughts scored this whisky 89 points Connoisseur

    A wonderful smokey Benriach, so far none of them really disappointed, nice thing!
    • Nose
      Very nice BBQ Smoke comes through present, in addition to red berries, beautiful blood orange, apricot, fig, toffee, vanilla, thyme, black pepper, very old car seat leather, half torn, oregano, nutmeg, very promising everything!
    • Taste
      Blood orange, BBQ Smoke always behind, then beautiful herbs such as in the nose, oregano, thyme, heather, moss, rosemary, some incense vllt., Sage, grapefruit peel, bitter orange, dried apricot with kernel, very meaty-smokey everything, yummy
    • Finish
      The dry steak smoke stays well back, plus some dark malt and citrus peel, especially grapefruit, with a touch of oregano, medium in length

  33. Calmar scored this whisky 88 points Connoisseur

    A good combination of wine finish and smoky base, there is a sense of integrity and fusion, the harmony between smoke and port. Worthy mole, spicy, dense, deep enough, you can sit with him, pose in nuances, or you can simply drop all the difficulties and slowly swim in the smoky port-stream.
    • Nose
      Warm, fresh, smoke, warm coals fire, peat, fat smoked fish.
    • Taste
      Sweet-smoky, coal, dry peat, wine sweetness, raisins, a little rubber.
    • Finish
      Bittersweet, on a warm smoky background, weak ginger, burnt biscuits, dry orange peel, compost sour.

  34. Lady Dram did not rate this whisky Expert Senior

    • Nose
      88 88
    • Taste
      88 88
    • Finish
      90 90

  35. Mannheimer scored this whisky 87 points Expert Junior

    Typical sweetness of Benriach, creamy structure, smoke very present but red fruits (raspberries, blueberries) even wine flavors of Port are more dominant here. Beautiful malt to winter.

  36. maltaholic scored this whisky 88 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      89 89
    • Taste
      91 91
    • Finish
      88 88

  37. vredensever scored this whisky 86 points Expert Senior

    The aroma is a little sweet: meat theme (smoked meat), humus, leafy foliage, earth, peat, soot, smoke, a little wine notes, berries (jam), dry herbs and flowers. The taste is energetic: firstly, spicy spices (pepper), vanilla, just a wine theme, berries with sour, smoke, peat, earthiness, raw wood, bitterness at the end. The aftertaste is sweetish at first, more dry in development: wood, smoke, ash, burnt paper, bitterness. Conclusion . Quite interesting, powerful. Age is, there is an oak, there is a balance, there is a kind of port, but it is vague. Does not cling very much. Nevertheless, it is good. Rating 86 (n22t21f22b21).

  38. Kahzarr scored this whisky 88 points Member Senior

    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      87 87
    • Finish
      91 91

  39. hs305 scored this whisky 87 points Connoisseur

    [December, 2013]  I found this dram in a commercial advents calendar. 

    In my old rating system (ten scales that translate into WB points: 50 - 66 - 75 - 80 - 82,5 - 85 - 87,5 - 90 - 92,5 - 95) I scored it 87,5.  I took no detailed notes and never bought a commercial advents calender again.

  40. Helgo scored this whisky 87 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      88 88
    • Taste
      87 87
    • Finish
      88 88

  41. KOQ24 scored this whisky 86 points Expert Junior

    Nose:
    -nutty,spicy,Black Pepper,red Apple,Oak,Chocolate,Iodine,BBQ Meat,Strawberries,Camomille,Banana,Smoke

    Taste:
    -Oak, Caramel, Black Pepper, Smoke,Grapes, Port Wine,Plums, nutty

    Finish:
    -long with medium to strong Alcohol

    O:
    A fantastic Speyside Smoke Bomb with plenty of Port Influence.
    It's a travesty to see Benriach dropping it from the Range.
    Load up, Boys!
    • Nose
      95 95
    • Taste
      90 90
    • Finish
      80 80

  42. славон scored this whisky 88 points Member Senior

    • Nose
      90 90
    • Taste
      88 88
    • Finish
      88 88

  43. FernetBranco scored this whisky 84 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      88 88
    • Taste
      83 83
    • Finish
      85 85

  44. Goethe scored this whisky 88 points Connoisseur

    If there was a smoked fruit (and you love it) you should go for this malt. A very good combination of fruit and smoke but also a dance around some sharp edges on the palate.

    Concerning price/performance ratio: 9/10 
    • Nose
      Smoke, red fruits, port, berries, caramel, candles, berries, wood, roasted nut mix.
    • Taste
      Wood smoke, fruits, bacon, berries, white pepper, port.
    • Finish
      Long. Smoke and and mix of port and fruit aromas. 

  45. Tobias B scored this whisky 86 points Member Senior

    • Nose
      90 90
    • Taste
      82 82
    • Finish
      86 86

  46. Pollenflug scored this whisky 90 points Expert Senior

    More on: https://tomtrinkt.blog/
    • Nose
      Varied interaction between camp fire smoke and sweet, dark fruits, such as blackberries, raspberries and cherries. Peach, orange, grapefruit, a hint of vanilla / caramel and plenty of spices penetrate the dominant smoke after a few minutes. The powerful 50% by volume are perfectly integrated and never give the whisky an alcoholic or intrusive note.
    • Taste
      Strong onset with dry camp fire smoke, paired with a sweet fruitiness and a little spice. The blackberries and raspberries dominate the fruity part. First oak notes with a slight bitterness make themselves felt - hardly surprising at 17 years of storage time.
    • Finish
      The intensity of taste remains and allows a long and warm finish. Again, there is also a wonderful combination of camp fire smoke, fruitiness, dark chocolate and a spice becoming stronger, but which never becomes dominant or unpleasant.

  47. whiskyinstitut scored this whisky 91 points Connoisseur

    Horny part! Has convinced me directly and does it again and again!
    • Nose
      Sourly burnt fruits, the smoke is burnt out ashes, a mixture of strawberries, bitter oranges and peaches, the typical BenRiach-Pfeffrigkeit accompanied the whole
    • Taste
      Peppery, creamy, orange peel, light fruity bitterness, ginger
    • Finish
      Everything from aroma and taste combines and remains pleasantly long-lasting. Light oak comes to it. Super woven!

  48. malthead-sven scored this whisky 92 points Expert Senior

    a great composition of fruity port and the ideal amount of smoke, complex but never completely in one direction. Good example of a successful finish.
    • Nose
      Blackberries, dark forest fruit confectionery, then the smoke penetrates, heavy and dark fruity, phenolic, tar paper, menthol cigarettes, 2 extreme poles, between which the flavors oscillate, in between there is Christmas cookies, spice cake, scented candles, infused teabags
    • Taste
      dry and smoky, nutmeg and pepper, beneath which lies a fruity note, diluted it is sweeter and the smoke comes up again later
    • Finish
      long with licorice sweets (turkish pepper) and dark chocolate, sage, aniseed, dried fruit leaves a pleasant spice on the cheeks

  49. yggr scored this whisky 86 points Specialist

    • Nose
      85 85
    • Taste
      85 85
    • Finish
      87 87

  50. thijs100 scored this whisky 83 points Connoisseur

    Maybe better suited for peat heads, this BenRiach is not completely to my liking. More of a straightforward peat monster than the balance between port and peat that I hoped for.
    • Nose
      Earthy, meaty and a smoky peat character. After a while the forest fruits make an appearance, with blueberries and raspberries. Cherry syrup too.
    • Taste
      Peatier than the nose suggest. Medicinal almost. A fair amount of rubber. Roasted peanuts. For me the peat overpowers whatever is left of the port finish. Some red currants and plums.
    • Finish
      Peat and rubber. Again, the peat dominates here. Very long.

  51. tomy63 scored this whisky 83 points Expert Senior

    Deep gold color, peaty nose / farmer sherry and iodized at Port Charlotte but with dissociated and slightly unpleasant notes of chemical red fruits. Ditto in the mouth is thick peat, meaty and farmer but the port side is dissociated. Final quite long.

  52. Rom did not rate this whisky Expert Junior

    Surprisingly the nose is well farmed with a strong presence of eugenols, a chemical side is felt but without falling into the unpleasant. The profile is clivant but for my part I am quite a customer, it reminds me of Port Charlotte sherry. The mouth is both thick and sweet, almost candied and well peated, on medicinal plants (makes me think of a liquid medicated but impossible to remember exactly what it is). Long finish on the same aromas. The whole is very complex and difficult to define and describe.

  53. Ivynor scored this whisky 83 points Expert Senior

    I was expecting a lot of this Benriach. Alas, the port finish, tastes a little spoil the farm notes and peat of this whisky. The rendering is certainly original, but the port is not very well integrated.
    83 + / 84 -
    • Nose
      Test a version, probably 2015 or 2016
      Very strange nose, at once farmer, smoky, earthy, and also a little chemical, on strawberry and wild strawberry. The port finish is felt.
    • Taste
      Always this mixture strawberry-peat (perhaps less expressive than nose, but present), the aromas are dissociated. The rendering is rather dry, quite sweet, alcohol is well integrated.
      End of mouth on more bitterness, bitter oranges and gentian.
    • Finish
      In the same tones as the mouth.

  54. pianoman scored this whisky 84 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      Cigar smoke, leather. Behind it fruits and some dark chocolate.
    • Taste
      Cigarette ash with fruity sweetness and pleasant bitterness.

  55. JohannesB scored this whisky 89 points Expert Senior

    Very complex, versatile and closely interwoven - the BenRiach Solstice 17 years is really fun. The alcohol strength of 50% ABV gives it a lot of power, but without making it too violent. If the smoke was not so woody-herbaceous (<3 BenRiach!) He would fit smoothly to Islay.
    • Nose
      Dry wood smoke, dark sweetness and heavy port wine notes are immediately there and closely interwoven. The smoke is woody and also some herbs are put into the embers, for me unmistakable BenRiach. Gradually, the smoke becomes more phenolic and releases the aromas behind it. Raspberries, blackcurrants, peaches - all roasted, of course. Salted peanuts and a certain earthiness. The alcohol is perfectly integrated.
    • Taste
      Violent beginning, uncouth in the positive sense. Grilled bacon, lots of smoke and again the more sour berries. For me, the raspberry also sets the tone in taste. Also a little orange peel is there. Then herbal and bittersweet, the typical for me BenRiach herbal drops are there. A little oak tannins tingle on the tongue, but not really intense. The Port Pipe has probably been filled with whisky before.
    • Finish
      Long, warm and intense. Wood smoke, ashtray, cigar and black pepper. At the same time, the sweetness and the vile, sour berry notes find their way through the smoke and greet one last time ...

  56. ColorOutOfSpace scored this whisky 87 points Expert Senior

    a really nice whisky. im not the biggest fan of port finishes, but in this bottling it works really well. i never felt, that they put something onto the whisky itself, in fact it tastes not woven together. you have that beautiful portish red fruit notes, accompanied by deep but in gerneral more subtle peaty notes and oak. powerfull finish especially drunken neat.imho the better whisky in summary compared to its 'bourbon cask only' brother septendecim because of harmony and playfulness in taste while septendecim has more depth in its peaty flavours(only).
    • Nose
      88 88
    • Taste
      88 88
    • Finish
      87 87

  57. yggr scored this whisky 86 points Specialist

    • Nose
      85 85
    • Taste
      86 86
    • Finish
      89 89

  58. sbosse scored this whisky 89 points Expert Junior

    • Nose
      88 88
    • Taste
      91 91
    • Finish
      88 88

  59. Ana Chronist scored this whisky 87 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      88 88
    • Taste
      87 87
    • Finish
      87 87

  60. Wolv scored this whisky 87 points Expert Senior

    very nice dram, get what you can get!
    • Nose
      dry straw, barley, peaches, apricot, raisins, peat smoke and port wine
    • Taste
      peaches, peat smoke, port wine, malted barley and medicine
    • Finish
      long, warm, dry and heavy

  61. Wolv scored this whisky 87 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      87 87
    • Finish
      86 86

  62. Hobbit did not rate this whisky Expert Senior

    Wow! A wonderfully complex malt, the port's influence is not very dominant and is reflected more in sweetness and fruit. Great smoke. Has everything it takes to discover a lot.
    • Nose
      Smoke campfire and smoked ham, immediately paired with fruitiness and sweetness, strawberries, rum cherries, more smoke, blackberries, portnotes
    • Taste
      Sweetness, vigorous start with 50%, camp fire smoke, bitter nuts, raisins, needs no water
    • Finish
      Fruit, smoke, some oak, wonderfully long and warm

  63. jankes scored this whisky 87 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      87 87
    • Finish
      87 87

  64. toklian did not rate this whisky Connoisseur

    Serge says:

    Benriach 17 yo 'Solstice 2nd Edition' (50%, OB, +/-2014)
    A peated one this time, or better yet, it’s ‘heavily peated’. I
    remember the first Solstice, a 15 yo, was finished in Port, which is the
    most unlikely combination in my book. I mean, peat+Port. And yet, I had
    liked it (WF 84). Colour: apricot/salmon. Yeah well… Nose: indeed it is
    unlikely. Blackcurrant-flavoured Jell-O made with smoked water,
    Beaujolais that would have been stored near an old oil stove, smoked red
    peaches… And all that. And yet, there is a feeling of oneness that’s
    very… intriguing. Mouth: well, indeed, vive la difference. It’s a little
    rough around the edges, and there’s really a lot of bacon, cranberries
    and blood oranges, but the combo kind of works despite all these odd
    aspects. I also find a lot herbal tea, around cherry stems or
    blackcurrant buds. Indeed, it is ‘spécial’, in the French meaning of
    that word. Oh forget… Finish: quite long. I guess someone managed to
    smoke cassis. Comments: as long as there’s balance, I’m not against any
    form of experimentation. Not sure one would quaff a whole bottle in one
    go, but there. Score unchanged. SGP:645 - 84 points.

  65. JacobaEd scored this whisky 87 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      87 87
    • Finish
      86 86

  66. wisekyofcourse scored this whisky 86 points Connoisseur

    flowers, mint on a background of peat!
    then the peat bursts in the mouth with dried fruits, almond!
    a not too earthy finish where the iodine comes to counter the peat and fruits ... more red in the end!
    an excellent benriach with a deep final!

  67. AH Whiskyvitrine scored this whisky 86 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      88 88
    • Finish
      87 87

  68. steinrich scored this whisky 88 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      88 88
    • Finish
      89 89

  69. Laga93 scored this whisky 87 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      85 85
    • Taste
      86 86
    • Finish
      88 88

  70. Fight65 scored this whisky 86 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      85 85
    • Taste
      86 86
    • Finish
      87 87

  71. peatbogger scored this whisky 89 points Specialist

    • Nose
      88 88
    • Taste
      89 89
    • Finish
      92 92

  72. peatbogger scored this whisky 89 points Specialist

    It's not "in your face salty-sea peat" like an Islay, it's delicate and rounded.

    It's a gem!
    • Nose
      Pleasant mild peat, old books, thick dark jam, roasted nuts
    • Taste
      Cinnamon, herbal, some mentioned Dr Pepper; yes, definatly, nutty
    • Finish
      Very long and warming, going sweeter, the Dr Pepper herbal notes are really there for a long time

  73. Whisky-Connaisseur did not rate this whisky Expert Senior

    Lovely dram! Amazing the way the port compliments the peat. The port has
    imparted sweetness and delicate fruitiness to the peaty and smoky
    character of this stylish BenRiach. A superb marriage not often seen in
    finished whiskies. A very enjoyable and recommended malt at a very
    reasonable price. Well done!

    https://www.facebook.com/Whisky-Connaisseur-550443305109776
    • Nose
      Delicate aroma of stewed red berries - cranberry, blackcurrant, and
      strawberry, locked together by a firm peat-smoke catch. Lateron,
      pleasant fruity notes of plum jam and grape like flavours emerge with
      hints of chocolate and crisp oak in the back.
    • Taste
      Very fruity with sweet barley sugar and delicate wood smoke. Tender
      notes of dried raisins, sticky plum jam and a slightly bitter touch of
      orange peel. Warm with a peaty punch, lingering toffee and oak towards
      the finish.
    • Finish
      A very long finish. Fruity and smooth with warm oak spices and slightly
      burning peat. Gently dry with crisp malt and lingering nutty flavours on
      the tail.

      WITH WATER: Clean and fresh on the nose with flavours of
      malted barley. The fruitiness is clearly dominated by intense peat and
      smoke. The delicate fruitiness remains stable on the palate with more
      nutty flavours coming to the fore. This is all complemented by lingering
      peat smoke. The finish is long, sweet and dry with slightly warm spices
      and smouldering wood.

  74. Marko_I did not rate this whisky Connoisseur

    Top Whisky, my favorite in the Bowmore Darkest / Ardbeg Uigeadail / Lagavulin DE vicious circle ... it is a pity that it disappears.
    • Nose
      very strong (could also be more than 50%), fierce campfire, wild berries, with milder water in the smoke and fruity
    • Taste
      very nice combination of fruit and smoke, black currants, blackberries, dark grapefruit, dry red wine, dry, dark bitter smoke, very subtle sweetness (only, what is needed for the fruitiness and a hint of dark chocolate)
    • Finish
      long, smoky, red wine and tannins

  75. Bishlouk scored this whisky 88 points Connoisseur

    Very marked smoke, and caramelized dried fruits. Not very complex, however. On the palate it is at first a little soft, but the whole is nice and balanced. The finish is more nervous, on the ash smoke. (tasted blind)

  76. maltaholic scored this whisky 88 points Connoisseur

    As soon as the sample is open, you will already be greeted by a wonderful smell of smoke. The color is very dark, even for his age. It immediately reminds me of a Lagavulin DE, a lot of smoke, but soft and round, a sweetness comes up. Heavy streaks like oil. A first sip, ohhhh, he pulls in. Look on the label, whopping 50%, you can tell. The smoke comes to the side, makes room for the sherry, more precisely: Port, cinnamon, spices, cloves come in the aftertaste ... What a great malt!

  77. Doctor B. scored this whisky 88 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      89 89
    • Taste
      87 87
    • Finish
      88 88

  78. tkoppelaar scored this whisky 88 points Expert Junior

    Good balance between peat and fruit.
    • Nose
      A lot of peat, little smoke, dried fruit, oil, wood, burnt sugar
    • Taste
      Dried fruits, pepper, vanilla, earth, lemon grass, oil / varnish,
    • Finish
      Peat, ashes, herbs / pepper, caramel

  79. mer1973 scored this whisky 88 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      88 88
    • Finish
      88 88

  80. Betsie scored this whisky 87 points Member Senior

    • Nose
      86 86
    • Taste
      86 86
    • Finish
      87 87

  81. Kaltduscher scored this whisky 86 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      Beautiful interaction of port and smoke. Dark fruits. Lime zest. Christmas spices. Cinnamon. Cloves. Mulled wine. Flavored tobacco. Burning campfire.
    • Taste
      Sweet and spicy. Wick throat dragon cherry. Glazed ginger. Cinnamon. Cloves. Mulled wine. Toffee. Oak.
    • Finish
      Spicy. Wick throat dragon cherry. Grapes. Torfasche. Vanilla. Drying. Oak.

  82. Gearmailteach scored this whisky 84 points Expert Senior

    Delicious. A good combination of port and smoke.
    • Nose
      Port wine by the campfire. Intensively interwoven are the fruity port character and the pleasantly "warm" smoke. Fruity and fruity with light and dark fruits, spice mix, grapes. Gluehweingewuerz, Rauecherstaebchen, vanilla and toffee.

      With water: significantly fruity. Grapes, Port, Gluehwein sweets and cherries.
    • Taste
      With some water: Cold campfire smoke in the start. Then Gluehweinbonbons, sweet, churches, bright fruit, nuts, oak.
    • Finish
      Mitel long. Smoke, nuts, coffee and dark chocolate.

  83. Glennie scored this whisky 86 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      88 88
    • Taste
      87 87
    • Finish
      87 87

  84. zinaf scored this whisky 86 points Expert Senior

    very enjoyable nose but the palette did not hold to the promise the nose made. I have to say I was left disappointed.
    SGP: 656
    • Nose
      Fantastic integration of peat smoke,  forest fruits, blackberries, raspberries, light perfume note. Some beautiful smoked nuts come through.

      Water: gets the peat going. Very nice and exciting nose. Builds up a lot of anticipation.
    • Taste
      Not sweet as expected. Starts smooth but then bites a bit. Sour and bitter oranges. With the light perfume note carrying through.

      Some citrus.

      Water: goes very bitter.Gameldansk. Not my whisky, really. 
    • Finish
      Finish long,  nice peat and touch of wood dryness

      Water very woody.

  85. mothers_finest scored this whisky 91 points Expert Senior

    The BenRiach Solstice is in the price-performance ratio hard to beat. Surely 65 euros are not a present, but at least the whisky has a whopping 17 years and maturing in the postage is just phenomenal!

    If you like smoke and port, and you want to taste it in a well-balanced combination, you will not miss the Solstice ...
    (NB other distillery currently sells similar things without age for almost 100 euros)

    Although powerful smoky, the surrounding is not crushed by the smoke, but the slight sweetness, the pleasant tingle, the dark fruit of the port, a bit of oak, and the smoke form a wonderfully harmonious feeling in the nose, mouth and throat.

    A harmonic storm, so to speak;)

    Also, the gift box is nicely done - because you have seen for worse whiskys already much worse ... (but only incidentally)
    • Nose
      90 90
    • Taste
      94 94
    • Finish
      90 90

  86. Ciro scored this whisky 88 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      88 88
    • Finish
      89 89

  87. Schlossgespenst scored this whisky 87 points Expert Junior

    • Nose
      75 75
    • Taste
      82 82
    • Finish
      75 75

  88. Shane_IL scored this whisky 94 points Expert Senior

    A wonderfully interesting dram. Best sipped over a long period of time
    • Nose
      Lovely vegetal peat. Juicy red fruits. New upholstery. Musty old books. Cooked strawberries. Mineral salts. Steam on hot rocks. Redcurrant jelly. Some winey, grapey notes. Chalk. Quince jam. Really powdery jelly donut. 
    • Taste
      Mineral peat. Charred wood. Ash. Woody nuts.  Cooked red fruits. Plums. Apricots. Ruby grapefruit. Tannins. Turkish coffee. Bitter chocolate.
    • Finish
      Long. Dry wood and red wine notes, tannins. Dark chocolate and espresso. 

  89. GlenSikkes scored this whisky 87 points Connoisseur

    Comments and Tasting Notes by BenRiach;

    Unusually for a Speyside distillery, we distil whisky from both styles of malted barley, non peated and peated, enabling us to capture the defining taste and aroma of peat reek in a few of our special bottlings.Just like the original Solstice release, this BenRiach has been distilled from heavily peated malted barley, then matured in ex-bourbon casks before finally being finished in Tawny Port casks. This new malt is a superb marriage of peat and fruit, a worthy successor to our 15-year old edition.The bottling strength for the Solstice 17 year old 'Second Edition' is 50%.Nose:Fabulous aroma of stewed summer berries including strawberries, blackcurrants and red currants. The berry component is richly locked together by a muscular peaty blast. Latter traces of fortified wine and grape like qualities become apparent. Colour:Impressive colour spectrum, showing distinct rose characteristics, with a bright copper crest.Taste:Initial, dry roasted nutty notes flow over the palate. This advances to become a heavy peaty affair. Subtle notes of dried raisins, and candied fruit. Clean and very enticing with the dominant peat flavours lingering on the palate. Smooth and very long.

  90. Torfding scored this whisky 86 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      fine Lagerfeucherrauch, a little woody, fine spices, vanilla, grated coconut, fruit, spiced wine, a little like Christmas
    • Taste
      somehow thin, but without being thin; Wood, nutty (hazelnut), sweet, some brew, initially also ripe fruit
    • Finish
      medium to long, not strong, but bubbling and with a long finish, slightly tingling, brandy

  91. Laugenbretzel scored this whisky 86 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      81 81
    • Taste
      82 82
    • Finish
      92 92

  92. Schlossgespenst scored this whisky 87 points Expert Junior

    A complex malt that took a long time to present itself in all its facets. Too bad that the bottle is now coming to an end ...
    • Nose
      Earthy peat smoke and chimney fire, some juniper and smoked ham. Reminiscent of an old smokehouse. In the background there is a wabernd heavy, jam sweetness that sometimes comes out.
    • Taste
      The heavy sweetness is now becoming clearer, along with the earthy notes. Slightly tingling and muzzling, a little bit of the juniper ham mentioned at the beginning comes along. Very light tannins come at the end.
    • Finish
      The glowing finish belongs entirely to the now more recurring peat smoke and the extinct charcoal. In the course of this, all the flavors appear again and again, fading, until the embers are finally extinguished.

  93. squaadgras scored this whisky 87 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      86 86
    • Taste
      87 87
    • Finish
      86 86

  94. KayMeertens scored this whisky 86 points Connoisseur

    86/87.
    • Nose
      Cherry, plum, pear and raisin. Chocolate-like peat and a slightly sulphuric type of spiciness. Salty anti-fly spray and perhaps some iodine.
    • Taste
      More peat, more pepper. Bramble, cherry and dark chocolate.
    • Finish
      Peat, dark chocolate, bramble and pear.

  95. Avdboom scored this whisky 87 points Member Senior

    This one does everything right. High abv of 50%, heavily peated, sweet, lasting finish and affordable at 17 years still. Only thing I can think of is the combination of it's kind of sweetness and peatyness. It's like peated peaches or strawberry's/bublegum/dr. Pepper, as mentioned by others. It's lovely, but not for every day for me. I could enjoy this once in a while, but if I would have it too much in a short while it could be bothering me maybe? I won't buy a bottle of it for that reason. But for the once in a while it get's a 87 .

  96. Georges scored this whisky 84 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      85 85
    • Taste
      84 84
    • Finish
      84 84

  97. Georges scored this whisky 84 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      Peat smoke, earthy, clay, leather, strawberry and black currant jam
    • Taste
      Peat smoke, sweet malt, strawberry jam, hazelnuts
    • Finish
      Long, smoky, strawberry jam

  98. Numwierum scored this whisky 88 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      90 90
    • Taste
      88 88
    • Finish
      87 87

  99. mikespike scored this whisky 92 points Expert Junior

    We had this in yesterdays (12June) tasting of Whisky-mike in Vienna. In a tasting with many peated malts this was much appreciated and rated best price/value ratio. Therefore upgraded to 92P -highly recommended, I just bought 2 bottles as this is still available at such reasonable prices..

  100. molar3rd scored this whisky 90 points Expert Senior

    Color : I usually do not attribute much to a color of a whisky, but this one is so beautiful i t deserves an honorary mention wonderful Copper, The port casks did their magic here!
    Nose : Peat reek with cough syrup. Very pronounced wine notes. Fortified wine , new make cured bacon some vinegary notes too.
    Palate: The first thing that comes to mind is cinnamon bubble gum, you know the spicy one we used to chew as kids. Then enters peat, smoke and envelope glue (Remember we once used to lick envelopes, before the stickers). If you appreciate Dr. pepper you will find some notes of that too here.

    Finish : Long. Sweet peaty BBQ. Cinnamon gum sweet N’ Spicy.

    Bottom line:

    All in all this is a cracking dram. A very nice variation on the 17 peated expression, with the port really playing first fiddle here, allowing the peat and cinammony notes to shine. Complex, Vibrant, and really special. I like this one very much! and with the 50%, it’s just perfect.

    http://whiskyisrael.co.il/2012/03/27/tasting-the-benriach-solstice-17-yo/

     

     

  101. Magnus Hillman scored this whisky 87 points Expert Senior

    I tasted this blind and thought it could be either Kilchoman Port wood or Longrow Red 11 yo Port, I have tasted neither one of these two. However, it felt a bit too matured to be a Kilchoman but sometimes the youth is very well hidden behind the peat. Anyway, quite surprised it was a BenRiach but I shouldn't be. They make excellent peated whiskies which I have tasted before. Difficult but enjoyable with blind tastings.

    (Rating interval 85-88p)
    • Nose
      vinous, peat smoke, salt licorice, bitter chocolate and mint, kind of After eights', but also typical bandaid notes.
    • Taste
      It is a strong peat smoke that completely dominates the arrival. After it calms down, sour fruit, sour plum and red currants develops on the palate, still very interactive with the peat.
    • Finish
      Long and lingering finish, again peat smoke of course band aid and hints of licorice. 

  102. Glenladdie scored this whisky 90 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      94 94
    • Taste
      91 91
    • Finish
      86 86

  103. Laugenbretzel scored this whisky 86 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      88 88
    • Taste
      85 85
    • Finish
      96 96

  104. mikespike scored this whisky 92 points Expert Junior

    Peated Benriachs, a very nice thing for lovers of peated malt whisky who are looking for alternatives to Islay malts. Also this one does not let you down. Recommended malt at a very reasonable price.

  105. Luhmi scored this whisky 86 points Member Senior

    • Nose
      86 86
    • Taste
      88 88
    • Finish
      84 84

  106. HW74 scored this whisky 91 points Expert Senior

    A truly wonderful, balanced and exceptional whisky at a fair price. Exactly my taste. The smoke and fruits are wonderfully interwoven.

  107. Kantenmechaniker scored this whisky 90 points Connoisseur

    I have not been disappointed, a very good whisky, smoke + port is just a safe bank
    • Nose
      Wow, a nice campfire smoke, very dominant, behind it is to find cherry, vanilla, scorched caramel, light mint, fresh
    • Taste
      Sweet, great dry smoke, smoked bacon, tart fruit, cherry
    • Finish
      The cold smoke lasts a long time, cherry tobacco

  108. Cicero did not rate this whisky Expert Senior

    I was pleasantly surprised. Campfire smoke and bacon, oak, fruit. The alcohol is wonderfully involved

  109. fradin11 scored this whisky 89 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      89 89
    • Finish
      89 89

  110. vb_bembel scored this whisky 89 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      89 89
    • Taste
      90 90
    • Finish
      91 91

  111. Gloin scored this whisky 89 points Expert Senior

    Smell: strong smoke, raspberry, strawberry, vanilla and caramel, alcohol not stinging despite the 50%
    Taste: first sweet, then alcohol, becoming dry, raspberry again this time along with orange juice, vanilla and above all clear smoke, despite 50% undiluted good drinkable
    Departure: smoke, dry, a reminder of fruits, a touch of oak

    Conclusion: You can understand the history of the whisky well, first the ex-Bourbon barrels that bring the vanilla and caramel, then the Portfässer, which are responsible for the fruit notes. The ex-Bourbon barrels were probably refill, as I find only a little oak. Blind, I would have appreciated the whisky determined younger. The smoke does not need to hide behind the produce from Islay's south coast. The whisky has inspired me, it tastes really good and is a clear recommendation for anyone who likes the Destillers Editions of Lagavulin and Talisker or the Bowmore Darkest, even if the port of course brings different notes than the ex-sherry casks of these candidates , The smoke is clearly above the Talisker and the Bowmore and can quite compete with the Lagavulin. From me there are definitely sensational 91 points

  112. Sonett scored this whisky 85 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      85 85
    • Taste
      84 84
    • Finish
      85 85

  113. Cipidos scored this whisky 85 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      84 84
    • Taste
      82 82
    • Finish
      86 86

  114. Whisky_Wolf scored this whisky 85 points Expert Junior

    • Nose
      86 86
    • Taste
      86 86
    • Finish
      84 84

  115. Cipidos scored this whisky 85 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      88 88
    • Taste
      85 85
    • Finish
      85 85

  116. Murmelkasten scored this whisky 87 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      89 89
    • Taste
      87 87
    • Finish
      85 85

  117. Kanalpirogel scored this whisky 87 points Member Junior

    • Nose
      Aromatic smoke, dark fruits, bonfire with fir brushwood, "burnt honey", medium-dry red wine, gingerbread
    • Taste
      Smoke,
      sweet dark fruits, rather sweet red wine, "burnt honey", gingerbread, spices, a hint of chocolate
    • Finish
      Malt, coffee, chocolate, at the end a pleasant oaky bitterness with subtle smoke

  118. Hvdree scored this whisky 87 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      88 88
    • Taste
      88 88
    • Finish
      88 88

  119. mneme scored this whisky 84 points Member Junior

    Too bad that most of BenRiach comes after the post-maturity. I'm looking forward to better barrels in the erstreifung.
    • Nose
      Much smoke, but also sweet and oak are to be discovered.
    • Taste
      Not quite consistent, the smoke and the fruit notes do not give a really round picture. After adding water, it becomes rounder and more harmonious. The smoke fades into the background. You can tell him the 17 years in any case, beautiful oak notes meet a great spicy and fruitiness.
    • Finish
      Relatively short finish, pleasant smoke

  120. Wild Thing scored this whisky 85 points Expert Senior

    Very good whisky, but a trace of too much smoke in the aroma for my taste.
    • Nose
      Strong smoke and alcohol. After a while, the port gets better with its dark fruits. Slight wood notes are also recognizable. Very complex.
    • Taste
      Very sweet and many dark ripe fruits and a little oak. The smoke is not that strong anymore.
    • Finish
      Medium long only little smoke and slightly bitter.

  121. Wild Thing scored this whisky 85 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      84 84
    • Taste
      85 85
    • Finish
      84 84

  122. Whisky Hamster scored this whisky 87 points Expert Senior

    Just listen to Falnor, he's right!... ;-)

    It's hard to find a reasonably priced richly peated malt that is port cask matured. The reddish color reflects the port nicely and this dram is another welcome addition to peat beasts from the mainland.

    Let's just hope this limited edition is not the last from BenRiach and the next one being just as good & affordable!

  123. Falnor scored this whisky 87 points Connoisseur

    Very dangerously drinkable malt! How could a standard OB with a finish be something utterly compelling?

    Imagine a malt that is medium rich because of it's age, strong but not hot or peppery because of it's 50% abv, has a nice warm smoky feeling and can hold it's own with the fruit from the port.

    Don't forget that next to the high priced islay whisky with sherry, port or wine cask there's this superb low priced alternative. I've tried to downclass it because I love single cask/ cask strength, but this is just great and so highly drinkable!

  124. ASWhisky scored this whisky 84 points Connoisseur

    17y, heavily peated, port finish, 50%
    All this promises a lot
    the 1st Edition had probably presented well after what one reads
    The great name Solstice was already close to a change of impressions
    He was a bit too nervous for me, too few lines and paths
    no real change of notes, more of a mess
    unbelievable space for interpretations
    absolutely not boring
    beautiful 17y, interesting smoke, always present, no bomb
    exciting to drink and delicious
    an always welcomed dram
    • Nose
      First smell: sherry barrel: cherry, old moist oak, iodine
      > Finer notes: the dark slightly sour currant jelly, orange, brown caramel - sugar syrup, slightly clove, again iodine
    • Taste
      shortly unspecific soft and sweet
      then smoky spicy and salty on the tongue
      well distributed smoke, salty with fruit, a bit confused but exciting
      in second course are soft ripe cherries on the tongue
      slightly burnt on the palate, caramel, a little nut
    • Finish
      medium
      thin smoke, salt, some licorice, oak, burned

  125. n1d0 scored this whisky 89 points Member Senior

    Nose: Peat, the bonfire kind. Straw -and blueberries. Some banana. Wonderful port influence. After some time in the glass, the port and sweetness stand side-by-side with the peat.

    Body: Medium weight, smooth and oily.

    Taste: Sweet port, but also drying and a very nice peat flavour. Spices and herbs. Some vanilla and honey.

    Finish: Long, dry oak, sweet strawberries. Delicate smokiness.

    Verdict: Doubtful about finishes? This bottle might change your mind. Stellar dram.
    • Nose
      94 94
    • Taste
      92 92
    • Finish
      92 92

  126. getz scored this whisky 89 points Expert Junior

    The second edition of the well received Solstice from Benriach, their port finished heavily peated single malt. This has spent an extra couple of years in cask compared to the first edition

  127. HunterRomario scored this whisky 90 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      A massive mixture of heavy fruity overgrowth and a heap of peat. (89b)
    • Taste
      On her tongue, she was surprised by the maturity, and by unexpected fineness, it was still full of peat. The scent reminded me of BenRiach Solstice 15y, but in taste no more, no spice pile is missing, this is smoother, sweeter but also better for my taste buds. (91b)

  128. Fable scored this whisky 84 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      86 86
    • Taste
      85 85
    • Finish
      87 87

  129. Angelos scored this whisky 90 points Expert Senior

    A wonderful malt! You have to try it!
    • Nose
      Wonderful heavy and aromatic peat. Dark fruits. Memories of fruitcake. Oak. Christmas Pudding. The whole range of Port!  Alcohol score not really noticeable, despite the 50%
    • Taste
      Massive taste of peat. Fruits again. Extreme sweetness! Strawberries and raspberries and a bit cinnamon. Spice from the oak. Really Sweet! Brazil nuts?!
    • Finish
      Long finish. Spices from the oak and some cinnamon remains! The aromatic peat (christmas!) is omnipresent

  130. Igor scored this whisky 87 points Expert Senior

    Quite a mellow whisky indeed for such a high alcoholic strength.
    • Nose
      Light honeyed note, compress (mustard plaster), port wine, strawberry, blackcurrant.
    • Taste
      Rich, full-bodied. Peaty, smoky, resinous, a bit of sourness as well. Unexpectedly smooth texture though.
    • Finish
      Durable. Oil soot, nip of zest, citrus fruit, berries, lacquer. Strong ABV is hardly perceptible in it. I can scarcely believe it has as much as 50% of alcohol.

  131. granella2003 scored this whisky 87 points Connoisseur

    Colour : Amber gold

    Smell : Honey with a hint of spice

    Taste : Round, with a spicy finesse

  132. mikkellund42 scored this whisky 86 points Expert Junior

    Balance: Good
    Tasted at www.romfestial.dk 2012-11-04
    • Nose
      Light iodide, round, raisins
    • Taste
      Round and warm

  133. granella2003 scored this whisky 87 points Connoisseur

    A light Benriach with mouthwatering flavors and breathtaking aromas. Has a distinct flavor of peat and therefore as "heavily peated" typified by many connoisseurs, has only matured in bourbon casks and then finish to get into his old tawny port casks
    • Nose
      Wonderful flavors of crushed hazelnuts, march pain, malt and subtle notes of honey
    • Taste
      Silky texture with intense flavors of peat, malt and honey in the foreground and complemented by a rich variety of herbs. In the background are subtle hints of fruit to be found that the palate with excellence in balance.
    • Finish
      A delicious aftertaste that honors the whisky, a taste of vanilla with a hint of smoke

  134. markjedi1 scored this whisky 86 points Connoisseur

    Smoked strawberry, what a special combination. And a complete success.
    • Nose
      The nose is a balanced mix of sweet berry jam (gooseberry, blackberry, strawberry and raspberry), on sweet peat that offers the smokiness of a bonfire. It even has a farmy side. It becomes sweeter as you leave it to breath. The port wine slowly but surely shines through. Enticing
    • Taste
      The attack is sweet, but more of a dried fruit variety. Raisins, preserved apricots, even some figs. Oh, look, there are the strawberries again. Oh, in full force, very juicy. The smoky blanket around it is absolutely fabulous. And it is very smoky indeed, more than on the nose.
    • Finish
      The finish is silky soft, slightly drying and more of the same: peat and sweet port.

  135. Erik Elixir scored this whisky 88 points Connoisseur

    N: sweet peat, summer fruits - pineapple and raspberry, a little soapy, beeswax and spicy
    T: roasted (bbq?) nuts, fruity - kiwi & banana, peat, oily, and light spicy
    F: drying, sweet and peaty
    the color is funny pink, must be the port cask

  136. alectron scored this whisky 86 points Connoisseur

    Single dram note (Dramfest NZ 2012)
    • Nose
      clay/earth, meaty, slight wood. (82) turns fruitier & sweet after a bit, some leather, spices/cinnamon (86)
    • Taste
      malt, smoke, blackberries (87)
    • Finish
      slightly dry, spices (cloves & cumin), canned strawberries, slifghtly anaesthetic feel at the end. (88)

  137. QuarterCentury did not rate this whisky Connoisseur

    The second edition of the well received Solstice from Benriach, their

    port finished heavily peated single malt. This has spent an extra couple

    of years in cask compared to the first edition.

     

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