10-year-old

Benriach The Smoky Ten SSMSW 46%. 30ml sample Nov 2022. Mid tone yellow. Aroma is immediately very bonfire smoke, spent coals with maybe a trace of lighter fluid still on them, some burnt apple peel, polished metal. Sniffing deep you get a hint of something like tomato paste. Body is lightly to moderately oily. Taste is light on impact but there’s a hint of something metallic and lightly smoky waiting to build ... and it does build into a nice pleasant expansive hammy smoke as soon as you swallow the first mouthful, leaving quite a nice soft lingering smoky aftertaste. A bit wishy washy on impact and then opens up on the swallow. Builds some salted caramel and toffee sweetness over time, which is welcome and adds a layer of complexity. Some twiggy char builds on the finish. It’s a grower for sure – the sort of whisky that perhaps you need at least 50ml of to really get into. I like it quite a bit and enjoyed my sample, though perhaps it was just slightly too bitter on the finish for me to absolutely love it. Very solid though. I’ve seen this on offer for £34, which is very fair indeed in today’s market. 3.575/85

Light golden color. Oily structure.

An enjoyable BenRiach, a class above the Original Ten (and the 46% helps too). The smoke gives this dram a distinct character, with sweet notes and gentle peat.

Aroma is rich and alluring with a mix of earthy-malty-peaty notes and fruity-dessert-sweet notes combining and blending nicely; Palate carries an added herbal undertone, but on the whole, comes through a bit muted compared to the palate; Finish picks up the most peat but stays rather fruity.

smoke, light bacon

Nice daily dram that is well worth the money.

I think the cask selection has worked really well with the spirit here. Somewhat delicate for a peated whisky, but that only plays to the strengths of this particular dram. The Rum and virgin oak together have given the sweetness a tropical nature. That, contrasted and complemented with the finely tuned level of Highland peat smoke, conjures the scene of a hot Scottish campfire recently extinguished using only Piña Coladas. I quite enjoyed Fire & Cane, but this, despite having some superficial similarities, is a cut above.

Bright color. Rather thin consistency.

Subtle and complex flavor. Ripe pear, citrus, dried apricots, honey with notes of caramel, oak, delicate herbs and spices.

07/03/2026 - 30 ml blind test + 20 ml revealed with ice A delight with a slight peaty note, but almost quite alcoholic.

More delicate compared to the old Curiositas. Promosso!

Tried the new Stadnard bottlings at a trade fair and they were convincing. There are quite a few everyday tricks that don't hurt either on the tongue or in the wallet.

A bottling that definitely delivers value for money, quietly but confidently representing the Highland peat. Balanced and enjoyable, a bottling that can be examined closely when needed and enjoyed at the same time. Value for money: Good. Would I buy it again?: There's no harm in keeping it; it's a readily available alternative to Highland peat.

Overall, I’d say the nose is surprisingly good it shows great promise though I can't quite say the palate and finish fully live up to what the nose promised. It is very spicy, and that can throw off the balance by adding a touch of harshness; personally, that doesn't bother me much, but tastes differ some might find it off-putting, while others might love it. Would I drink it? Yes, I would. Considering it’s a 10-year-old whisky and looking at the price point, I think it delivers good value; it may have some slight rough edges, but that’s perfectly normal for its class and entirely acceptable. Cheers.

Greengages BenRiach has been known for it’s peated expressions so clearly this had to be included in the totally new core range. This was a distillate from both peated and unpeated barley and matured on a combination of bourbon casks, virgin oak and Jamaican rum casks. It is clear that Rachel Barrie got access to whatever the warehouses had to offer and used that playground to BenRiach’s advantage. By the way: this is bottled at 46%, while the unpeated version – The Original Ten – has to make do with 43%. The smokiness is delicate and supportive, certainly not dominating. What is dominating are the apples and greengages, as well as some honey and… coconut! Truly good and fun too. It could have done with a bit more body I suppose. This is a bit light. But the taste is just fine: honey, peach, greengages, coconut and then a soft layer of smoke on top that brings along some cinnamon and candied ginger. I am pleasantly surprised in the finish by salted butter, creamy honey and vanilla, but mostly the smokiness that just lingers on. My mouth turns cozily warm. At the death the greengages appear once more and thus form the leitmotif of this malt. Lovely, friendly priced, peated BenRiach. Around 45 EUR.

Not a big fan of modern Benriach, this one is not my favourite too. I always taste butter in Benriach. I do not like that in my whisky.

Fruity on the nose, spicy and peppery in the taste with a pleasant smoke component, which is not as strong as an Islay malt. Nice standard, but nothing special either. Overall, I personally find the 10s almost better than the 12s - but everyone has to decide for themselves. [85 - 81 = delicious -> get a second bottle if price is within the range]

earthy peat, it stings in the mouth! smoked bacon, a vegetal, minty side, the bourbon, oloroso and Jamaican rum type gives a sweet sensation, of sugar cane, fresh cane juice the peat also becomes sweet and the grilled, caramelized bacon simple but very effective considering the price!

The average "smoker", completely unsophisticated, but quite tasty. It seemed to me that the new Smoky Ten was less meaty and oily than the old versions of BenRiach Curiositas.

I did not like Benriach 10 Curiositas. Yet... This is my new Kilkerran 12 (which is now way too overpriced). Or in other words this is my new everyday dram. I like rums (mainly Bajans from Barbados) so it is not that surprising. This one has rum casks from Jamaica. Furthermore there is so much going on in this bottle. And yet it is so pleasant, that you can enjoy it in peace. In my opinion though, it would be better without the slight spiciness from the virgin oak casks.

A fruity affair. Very neat for a standard. The smoke is rather restrained, especially in terms of smell, but the taste and finish are definitely formative, but without overpowering the other aromas. A nice round, fresh fruity companion for a cozy summer evening.

S 6.5 Smoky but quite light and delicate. 81-85 - Another dram welcomed H2H Tasting The Original Ten - WB165510 -83 The Twelve - WB165512 - 83 The Smoky Ten - WB165511 - 81 The Smoky Twelve - WB165513 - 81 Malting Season First Edition - WB189361 - 83 21yo Tawny Port Finish - WB85034 - 85

Note: I bought the opened bottle from a friend who was getting rid of his collection. The bottle is 2/3 full and has been for over a year. A good label with good value for money.

different from 12 by the barrel of rum (Hampden?) bought at the time of the old masterblender, unique by the characteristic sweet scent, more vegetal, herbaceous with the sugar cane back, fresh peat, vegetable earth peat and rum .

n: smoke, bonfire, sour, citrus, salty t: smoke, spicy a: smoke, bonfire, citrus

Solid Benriach, however there are better bottles in this cathegory.

Nice Daily - find it even more interesting then the 12 Smoky.

nose: sweet smoke, salt, fresh yellow and green fruits, honey a little dirty hay from a stable, it smells good in the nostrils mouth: peppery spices, white pepper, sea salt with the seaweed that goes around, it's creamy and honeyed again, the fruits on syrup of juicy apples and peaches, plums, the juice of a plum crushed under his shoe and the sugar that emerges from it; a little cooked coconut milk for the sweetness and various spices which perfume in the mouth, return of seaweed, pleasant salty spray, which changes the eternal peat-lemon! the smoke is on the front, but the peat arrives there heavier, always a little fatty with, the alcoholic degree makes the difference with "vulgar" 40 and 43 °, here it is the little more which gives more marked scents . final: surprisingly long enough, monolithic yes but for this almost given price, it is a good choice to get down to it.

Well made, but rather sweet and a bit forgettable. Full review here: https://maltfascination.com/2023/05/23/benriach-the-smoky-ten-bourbon-rum-virgin-oak-casks-46/

a good option for getting to know smoky whisky.

Nothing much appealing too me with this whisky. Too light and too sickly sweet. Not for me sadly.

Cold greasy wood smoke on the nose, sweet, fruity (berries), also light apple and cereal notes. (The current character of Benriach?) It's similar in the mouth anyway, but here I find a fine herbal note and a little more spice.

A good peaty simple whisky. The only issue was that everything in this whisky is too soft. No punch, no character. However considering price (35EUR) it is a good value for your money. N: smoke, honey, saltiness T: soft smoke, fruity sweetness, a touch of spice in the background F: dry, smoky, spicy

Nose: We're getting medium peat up front here, and it's cleaner in character, not too earthy or vegetal. Interestingly, there is a definite salt note here, and just a little bit of youthful vigor. Then we get into the flavor notes: vanilla sweetness, a touch of buttery oak, heather, and damp hay. There is some fruit hiding inside as well, in the form of lemon or citrus, even a lemon-lime soda. Butterscotch, cream, and a sweet bread round it out. All of that said, this isn't the strongest nose in the world - you have to search around a little bit. Palate: Peat is still a medium strength on the palate, but it's covered by loads of vanilla, sweet cream, just lots of sweetness in general; some toasted coconut and butter as well. There is a distinct wood smoke note from the virgin oak, but this whisky generally sticks to the classic Speyside ex-bourbon character with the addition of peat; light in complexion, somewhat clean, and medium-thin mouthfeel. Later, we do get wood sugars and some baking spice, such as cinnamon and nutmeg. This is all topped with honeyed peaches, heather, and hay. Finish: A medium length finish here, and while the peat has faded from the level of the palate, it does linger gently for some time. A lot of the same notes as the palate: straw, very mild oak, some cream, and vanilla with honey pancakes. Oak is very gentle, not dry; there's butterscotch candies, and we fade to black with white chocolate chips.

Lekkere enigszins zachte wisky, met prettige afdronk, licht rokerig, niet verkeerd, maar haalt het niet bij mijn lievelingswisky de lagavulin 16 jaar. Drink wel lekker weg overigens deze 10 jaar oude Benriach.

Really nice lightly peated malt at a budget price. Sweeter and lighter overall than the Benriach Smoke Season.

Quite light country peat, with nuances of vanilla, candied lemon, cane sugar. Cooked grapefruit, caramelized on the edges. A zest of blood orange. Artichoke heart. Hay, dried wheat in the background. All earthy, dusty. Vanishing smoke. But it’s still very tasty. On the palate, the acidity of lemon, the fruitiness of a yellow plum, mirabelle plum, and spices. Peanuts, white pepper, cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon. In the finish, the vanilla lemon comes out in a very skillful way, quite long, coconut icing, very ripe pineapple. Licorice stick. Despite a slightly light palate, this new bottling obtains encouraging satisfaction. https://ilikesky2020.blogspot.com/2021/04/benriach-smoky-ten-10-yo.html