Whiskybase

BenRiach 1994

Overall rating
89.22/100
votes
158
Whiskybase ID
WB63173
Category
Single Malt
Distillery
Bottler
Distillery Bottling
Bottling serie
Single Cask Bottling
Vintage
1994
Bottled
11.2014
Stated Age
20 years old
Casktype
Oloroso Sherry Butt Finish
Casknumber
806
Number of bottles
659
Strength
54.6 % Vol.
Size
700 ml
Bottled for
independentspirit.de
Market
de Germany
Added on
09 jan 2015 2:54 pm by Vitamin W lover
UncoloredNon-chillfilteredCask StrengthSingle Cask Whisky
BenRiach 1994
Photo by nhuber

Average value

€ 136.50

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€ 209.00
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Whisky Reviews for BenRiach 1994

40 users have left a review for this whisky and scored it an average of 89.22 points

  1. didi1893 scored this whisky 90 points Connoisseur

    A really interesting and extraordinary drop! The smoky and greasy elements are a wonderful contrast to the dark and sulphurous sherry flavors. Unusual and extremely tasty, I like it very much!
    • Nose
      Fine peat, with a hint of smoke, dissolves from a dark sherry cloud. The nose looks surprisingly greasy and smoky, burnt logs and a hint of ash come to the fore relatively quickly. An oily sulfur note reminds me a little of rubber and tires, a touch of oily belly fat pulls through the nose. Hints of sweetish dried tobacco leaves are dimmed by dark berries and dark chocolate chips, the slightly sulphurous and oily note dominates the complete nose. old, ripened mountain cheese comes to my mind for a moment before the dark sulfur and sherry aroma "hits" again. Dried orange slices sparkle, then dominate again the sulfurous and slightly musty sherry aroma.
    • Taste
      Dark sherry and oak flavors dominate as expected the first sip. Chubby warm, a subtle hint of sulfur spreads in connection with a slight hint of smoke in the mouth, an initially subtle sharpness is intensified, white pepper continues to heat up the heat. Oily bacon and a hint of dark walnut rests on the tongue for a brief moment until the powerful hotness (this time with chilli) envelops the tongue again. The sulfur note becomes more intense and dirty, again show dark walnuts and dark chocolate. Freshly brewed coffee mixes with a subtle smoky note, the creamy bacon is impressive again. Walnuts and old oranges bring the sherry barrel back to life!
    • Finish
      Oily and creamy bacon and smoky peat rest in the mouth. A slight hint of menthol leaves the sulfur for a moment forgotten, then again slightly smoky and burnt wood tones in combination with walnut and dark sherry notes. The walnuts and spicy oak flavors crystallize more and more to the end of the aftermath, the smoky and slightly burnt flavors are the whole time discreetly in the background. Short flash again the oily bacon and the dark sulfur, then dominate only smoky wood elements.

  2. ASWhisky scored this whisky 90 points Connoisseur

    I touch the sky a delicious whisky with beautiful note combinations something to Oloroso lastig
    • Nose
      directly after pouring:
      soft, sherry, barrel, then light blue cheese note
      after exercise:
      the damp slightly gammelige barrel
      nutty
      salty
      walnut shells
      sweet dried plums
    • Taste
      salty
      brown
      dark caramelized walnuts
      the whisky-moist old wood bittersweet wort mmmh on the palate very clearly the Oloroso
    • Finish
      long and beautiful
      getting a bit bitter
      clearly the Oloroso
      intense finish

  3. wisekyofcourse scored this whisky 90 points Connoisseur

    nose:
    herbs, dried black grapes, blackcurrant, grilled and sweet barbecue sauce, heated tire, peat (finally!) oily, oily, not medicinal and chicory.
    Slightly cooked orange jam with a little zan
    mouth:
    earthy peat, well peppery spices, fruit juice, on orange, grapes, dubacon, a little oily sausage, a little rancid, a salty side arrives
    the alcohol finally arrives I would say with old wood, soggy and a little rotten, we feel the foam on it which is impregnated, liquorice and cold ash take precedence over the peat at the end of the palate.
    dark chocolate and chicory with a touch of bitterness. Oily peat returns to the palate
    Final:
    intense, complex, old sherry, full, annealed dried fruit, toasted caramel, earthy peat, a hint of tobacco
    • Nose
      6.5

  4. Hvdree scored this whisky 87 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      89 89
    • Taste
      87 87
    • Finish
      86 86

  5. Segens scored this whisky 89 points Connoisseur

    One of the best noses I had I would probably give it 93 points just on the nose. Incredible complex and I could sniff it forever. The taste is very good but cannot keep the nose but still probably like 91 points so still a killer. I simply like these sherry smoke monsters and this has this salty caramel taste which I also love on ice cream.
    The finish is short and unfortunately too dry for me. It is not killing the dram but if the casks would have been turned into bottles 1 year earlier (don't know how long the Sherry finish took) it would have been better! Still a good 89 points!

  6. Donwaldorf scored this whisky 88 points Expert Senior

    Rather well done as a whole, it will certainly delight fans of Sherry Bomb Peat. For others, it will take time and tame the many facets of this whisky. This category of Whisky needs to be deepened.
    • Nose
      A very sherry / peaty nose, aging in Olorosso casks is very marked. There is mainly blackberry and raspberry. Behind it develops a sulphurous smoke. There are also notes of barbecue sauce and over time a farm peat and leather.
    • Taste
      The 54.6% are almost not felt, alcohol is perfectly integrated. Farm peat has taken over the beginning of the mouth. Gradually her Sherry side comes back to the fore with woody, spicy notes, there is dark / bitter chocolate, almonds, hazelnuts and a hint of salt. Everything is fat in the mouth.
    • Finish
      Long on farm peat, salt and coffee ... a lot of coffee.

  7. wncvirus scored this whisky 89 points Expert Senior

    Nose: Notes of sherry soaked in heavy oily notes of persistent herbal, with the addition of dark honey.
    Taste: A powerful hitting of sherry with the addition of raisins and dark honey. In the first installment, there is also a noticeable tariness in the taste. In the following approaches, a light bacon can be felt and a light plasticity is felt.
    Rating: 89 | 100 Finish long with an atomic dose of sherry. A position definitely for lovers of heavy sherry notes. I can also recommend this bottle with a clear conscience. Nicely balanced and complex in flavor, quite rich.

  8. Jour.Ray scored this whisky 87 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      89 89
    • Taste
      87 87
    • Finish
      86 86

  9. etwa77 scored this whisky 86 points Expert Senior

    very nice, uber greasy, peaty and dirty combination of flavours.. however, it comes out a tad too hot and that may be ok in the end.. but it’s easy to get used to this single note.. yes, ‘it lacks complexity’ is the expression i am trying to avoid

  10. rpvdwel scored this whisky 87 points Connoisseur

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

  11. Deloti scored this whisky 86 points Expert Senior

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

  12. checkpointuk scored this whisky 90 points Connoisseur

    Colour:
    Amontilado sherry
    Nose:
    Very smoky texture of full fruit and powerful sherry. The smoke is filled with a voluminous wort; Pepper, salt, tobacco, leather, cardboard and a metallic touch of tinplate. Undercurrent soft flavors of chocolate pepper and Schokoladenmus run.
    Taste:
    Spicy, smoky and creamy. Smoke from tobacco with a lot of salty wood and nut, as well as fruity notes with spicy herbs. Espresso, a little vanilla and a lot of dark coal are put together in a pleasant composition.
    Finish:
    Long - lightly woody but still creamy fresh. Vanilla, smoke, orange peel, honey, wet charcoal and notes of coked campfire. Again, very pleasant.
    90 points
    N: 91P / G: 90P / F: 90P

  13. wbarchive_104650 did not rate this whisky Expert Senior

    The BenRiach is full board Oloroso. Dark, heavy, chocolaty. Unfortunately, he is too sharp for me without water. With water he loses extremely.

  14. lachaineduwhisky did not rate this whisky Expert Senior

    More peated than oloroso! An earthy peat that masks the slight sweetness of sherry. A note of sulfur, it seems to me.

    Enthusiasm 2/5

  15. elzAberino scored this whisky 90 points Member Senior

    The color in the glass, the smell in the nose, the taste on the tongue and the finish, here everything is just right. Delicious!
    • Nose
      Sweet and greasy, nice mild peat smoke. Forest honey, mosig, smoldering wood, delicious mushy raisins, full-bodied - this whisky simply has an incredibly good nose, very complex and delicious
    • Taste
      Sure - sherry! Smoke only discreetly present, buttery, oranges, a little peat and bacon, towards the end more with moss, grass, honey. The alcohol with its 54% is very well integrated and makes the drop quite volluminös.
    • Finish
      Sweet raisins, plum jam, again light smoke, is always sweet (again forest honey) with slightly spicy notes. Strong and very long finish, leaves behind some cold ash at the end.

  16. Rom did not rate this whisky Expert Junior

    On the nose we have a mixture of coffee, peat and dried fruits. Beautiful thick texture, the mouth is lively and powerful, dominated by coffee, chicory. Long finish on praline and coffee. Very very good whisky, I am quite a customer of the profile.

  17. Ivynor scored this whisky 88 points Expert Senior

    Quite heavy and a little alcoholic, but with good hints of sherry behind; To be sedated with water to obtain a good greedy and pleasant rendering.
    87 (without water) 88 (with water)
    • Nose
      Peat fresh and even lively, a little lemon, big farmer's notes and especially in the background a lot of sherry (nuts, coffee, sugar)
    • Taste
      Very lively, a little alcoholic. Creamy texture. This time the sherry wins: "heavy sherry" here. Coffee, hazelnuts, praline, some dark chocolate and cooked plums. The fresh peat is present but gives an impression of very young whisky. Sherry and peat are not very melted in the mouth at first sight but the water is very good and rebalances the duo.
    • Finish
      Rather long, on peat and coffee, and notes of peppermint.

  18. tomy63 scored this whisky 89 points Expert Senior

    amber color, very peaty and very farmy nose, chocolate, tobacco, leather, not very fruity. Powerful mouth, well integrated alcohol, always very peaty and very farmy, now with a little salt and a caramel salted butter side, quite dry, some spices. Long finish, hot, peaty, farmy, salty. A very original Benriach, which is not in the finesse, which lacks perhaps a little complexity and fruit to be perfect.

  19. Helgo scored this whisky 89 points Connoisseur

    BLINDTASTING TWS: Blind with smoke Tip: I find this whisky very complex. In particular, the finish I like very well. I can not tell you a lot of smoke, but we've had that before and my taste buds and my perception are maybe below average.

    Marko has shared a few old Bowmore in cask strength (Möwendingsbumms). He reminds me a little of these bottlings, although I miss a little floral notes. Therefore rather untypical Bowmore. In the finish, the Talisker 57 ° North came to my mind. But we can immediately reject that and exclude it. I would remember that

    That's why I stick to it: Bowmore in cask strength

    • Nose
      Subtle peat smoke, slightly mosig with angegegemelten forest mushrooms as after a rainy forest walk, tart Sherrynoten, slight Bitternoten, forest blackberries
    • Taste
      Strong and spicy. This whisky comes with cask strength.
      Again little smoke, malty, oranges, arpicoses and berries are there. Some honey and then slightly buttery. Somehow, a rusk smeared in my head smeared with butter and jam ...
      The oak is noticeable, but not too dominant.
    • Finish
      Long, dry and spicy. I do not hear smoke (more).

  20. Tom na Gruagaich scored this whisky 90 points Connoisseur

    great combination of bitter notes, fruity sweetness and great tobacco notes. Exciting, a bit cumbersome, but delicious.
    • Nose
      fruity, herbaceous, sweetish peat, tobacco, barbecue sauce, exciting and complex.
    • Taste
      Sulfur, dry smoke, bitter wood, menthol, light fruit, idiosyncratic.
    • Finish
      Sulfurous sherry sweets. Peat, plum jam, tobacco, tart wood notes, menthol.

  21. Marko_I did not rate this whisky Connoisseur

    Very tasty, they can. The 100 ¬, which he probably tasted about originally, I think appropriate.
    • Nose
      dry, sweetish smoke, goes somewhat towards pipe smoke, dark chocolate, molasses, prune ... and some bacon
    • Taste
      dark, tart chocolate, cocoa, plum wrapped in bacon, a hint of dark berries (blackberry, blackcurrant), licorice (or even salt liquorice?)
    • Finish
      long and warm, herbal bitters, camillan

  22. captain_k scored this whisky 91 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      94 94
    • Taste
      90 90
    • Finish
      92 92

  23. PunxsutawneyPhil scored this whisky 87 points Expert Senior

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

  24. PunxsutawneyPhil scored this whisky 87 points Expert Senior

    Good peated whisky. I could not pinpoint this, but I guessed some lightly peated Islay whisky.

    Tasted at day 17 of the Usquebaugh Society blind tasting competition 2015.My guess was a sherried Kilchoman, 05yo at 59%.
    • Nose
      Dark chocolate, ripe red fruit, earthy, metallic, peaty, some mint
    • Taste
      Soft ripe red fruit, dark chocolate, earth and peat
    • Finish
      Medium long, not at all bitter and only slightly drying, overripe red fruit and peat lingers

  25. KayMeertens scored this whisky 86 points Connoisseur

    Blind tasting of a sample. My guess was a 17-year-old Bunna.
    • Nose
      Spicy and slightly sulphuric sherry. Smoked ham, smoked cheese. Cocoa and some fruitiness like cranberry. With water the smoke more clearly manifests itself as peat. Also some orange.
    • Taste
      Interesting spice like cayenne pepper. Smoked ham, cranberry, peat and cocoa. Water adds way more peat, as well as orange and it makes the sulphur go away.
    • Finish
      Smoked ham, cayenne pepper, peat smoke, cocoa and raspberry.

  26. Copshop68 scored this whisky 91 points Expert Junior

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

  27. Murmelkasten scored this whisky 87 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      89 89
    • Taste
      87 87
    • Finish
      86 86

  28. Corso_theRed scored this whisky 92 points Expert Senior

    This
    dram makes me happy somehow. It really does have everything. Well integrated
    smoke and complex development. I’m not that much into heavy smokers, but this
    fits the bill perfectly. Good price as well.
    • Nose
      Cold
      savory smoke. Sweet berries and grapes. Very herbal, with eucalyptus and thyme.
      A lot going on here! There is a dirty side to this as well. Soot and burning
      leather perhaps. With water: more plums, cinnamon, and blood oranges. The smoke
      turns creamy and farmy – Springbankesque!
    • Taste
      There’s
      the peat! Impactful oak, sweet at first; then quickly drying. Salted honey!
      With water: the peat is gentler. Heather herbs, After Eights, motor oil. It’s
      back and forth between green undertones and salty-savory sweetness.
    • Finish
      Medium-long.
      Dry smoke. Mild tannins, caramel, and warming afterglow.

  29. Torfding scored this whisky 92 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      cold smoke and burning green, many fruit notes (dry pineapple and red fruits), with a little smell of stables and a hint of eucalyptus
    • Taste
      warm fruits, mirabelles, honey, barley, oak, sweet and earthy, peaty
    • Finish
      medium to long, warm and strong, herbs and herbal sweets

  30. rottendon scored this whisky 91 points Connoisseur

    Impressive malt, powerful and yet not overwhelming. Very complex and mature!
    • Nose
      The smoke is immediately present and it is cold. Behind it lies a dark, candied fruit, red grapes predominantly. Afterwards develop sea notes, iodine, salty smoked ham and a lot of cough syrup. I also find Serges Karbolineum in harsh quantities. Then also dull notes of malt. Camphor and disinfectants are coming. Heated, he goes more to the fruity side, Wick wild cherry with malting. The smoke is now a bit warmer too.
    • Taste
      A great consistency, nice oily, cough syrup on the tongue, chocolate, honey, herbs, dark cherries and smoke. Salt and oak are also found.
    • Finish
      The finish is full of herbs that are slow to leave the now cool smoke the field. The sweetness plays only a minor role. Leaves a similar mouthfeel like a eucalyptus sweet. However, the finish is not too long.

  31. Greenkeeper scored this whisky 92 points Expert Senior

    One of these things nobody should miss in his/her life. You know like planting a tree, making a baby child, crossing the ponte de 25 abril in Lisbon, excercising a parachute jump, watching the world cup half final 2014 live (the striking one) and all the other more or less stupid things. Dream stuff , 93 points at first, now confirmed 92.For detailed notes please read SteveW110 below.

    Besides: A Whisky that has spent 10 years in a bourbon cask and another 10 years in a oloroso cask should'nt be called a "finish"  but a double maturation whisky. It's a pity, that there are no SWA rules that clarify what's a "finish" and a "double maturation" or what should be the difference between them.

  32. q-runa scored this whisky 92 points Expert Junior

    • Nose
      93 93
    • Taste
      92 92
    • Finish
      91 91

  33. smaeksle did not rate this whisky Expert Senior

    A blast, you should probably quickly secure a bottle.
    • Nose
      Cold smoke, sweet and then the alcohol cools the nose. Roasted popcorn, dark chocolate and many dark grapes. A sherry bomb with extremely delicious smoke.
    • Taste
      Milk chocolate first, then slightly bitter and the alcohol hits, then dark notes again.
    • Finish
      The alcohol stuns the tongue, but the deep dark fruits and chocolate remain in the background long on the tongue.

  34. Eneloop2009 scored this whisky 91 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      93 93
    • Taste
      92 92
    • Finish
      91 91

  35. Luhmi scored this whisky 90 points Member Senior

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

  36. SteveW110 scored this whisky 91 points Connoisseur

    What an incredible nose!
    Ripe, juicy, smoked plums with a hint of lemon drops in the background. The alcohol is completely involved and plays a passive role ...

    The usual way is the smoke with the fruit note in the whisky an interplay ...
    Not this time!!! !!!
    This is where a malt was created, which simultaneously transports the great Oloroso cargo and delivers the peat directly to you!
    Multi-layered and extremely complex! Juicy prunes, smoked ham, honey, tangerine / peach, stovepipe paired with here also with soft grated lemon peel ...
    And much more to describe just a few impressions ...
    In addition, an extremely oily and heavy character in the mouth is added. Great great great *...
    The medium-length finish leaves a grandiose impression and makes you crave more ...
    • Nose
      96 96
    • Taste
      92 92
    • Finish
      86 86

  37. mikespike scored this whisky 91 points Expert Junior

    Another really good Benriach bottled by Indpendentspirit. Long-lasting taste, and again an excellent combination of a highland malt matured in sherry wood, with the nice addition of peat. The peat is different than in Islay malts, this is a very nice alternative for all those who love peated malt but look for something different..
    Recommended whisky, again a very good bottling. Still available (march 2015).

  38. nhuber scored this whisky 92 points Expert Senior

    looks like Serge loves it as well :)
    http://whiskyfun.com/

    Benriach 1994/2014 (54.6%, OB for Independent
    Spirit, peated, oloroso sherry finish, cask #806) Let’s be careful, this one’s peated! Colour: dark amber. Nose:
    yes! As usual, and in my own little book, oloroso does the trick much better
    than PX, and blends so much better with a peater, even if this is only a
    finishing. Some good chocolate that you would crunch on the shores of the
    Atlantic while burning dried seaweed and singing Dylan. You may cancel the last
    bit. With water: a little ink, old leather (old style wine enthusiasts would
    quote Russian leather), putty, carbolinium, creosote… What’s not to like? Mouth
    (neat): there is a touch of violet once again, but also plenty of brown tobacco
    (sucking an untipped Gauloise), chocolate, very salty black olives and maybe one
    prune. With water: tar, brine, olives, ink and all that. Oranges at the fruit
    department. Finish: long, beautifully dry, smoky and orangey. The aftertaste is
    rather farmy. Comments: now we’re talking! Success all around. SGP:466 - 90 points.

  39. nhuber scored this whisky 92 points Expert Senior

    Peated Oloroso: hmmm, sounds good... and tastes even better, this is not a normal Sherry finish, no, this 20 yr-old Peated Oloroso BenRiach aged for 10 years in a Bourbon Cask and then spent another 10 years in Oloroso Sherry Cask #806 which brings in a fantastic complexity of dry sweetness combined with terrific smoke and a very long finish... wow, have to pour another one.

  40. nhuber scored this whisky 92 points Expert Senior

    Official tasting notes:

    Colour: Rich golden amber
    Nose: Dried apricot and pineapple chunks, engulfed by waves of burning heather and intriguing hints of eucalyptus

    Taste: A rich heather-honeyed peat reek fills delicious oven-roasted
    Autumn fruits. Nectarines and mirabelle plums dusted with ground barley
    give a sweet contrast to the earthy, wild herb note in the finish.

Tastingtags

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