Benriach have extended their pleasingly peaty Authenticus series with a 30 year old expression (following on from the 21 Year Old and 25 Year Old). A rich, smoky, well-balanced dram from the fantastic distillery.

Peated Cask Strength: Batch 2 , the latest release from the BenRiach, is a single-malt Scotch whisky that will test the intestinal fortitude of the heartiest hooch drinkers. Weighing in at a whopping 121.2 proof, this husky dram is struck through with heavy smoke and wood flavor and dense vegetal notes. Think of the biggest, brightest bonfire you’ve ever seen, and then try to imagine all that white-hot intensity being bottled for consumption. No doubt there are people out there who enjoy drinking whisky as powerful as this neat.

This 21 year old malt is part of BenRiach’s Wood Finish or Cask Finish range, where whiskies mature in refill American oak casks before spending a finishing period in a more active wine or fortified wine cask. In this case, it has been finished in ex-Tawny Port hogsheads!

For the second batch of BenRiach Cask Strength, the distillers in Speyside have combined whisky matured in bourbon, oloroso sherry and virgin oak casks. Intensely flavoursome stuff.