BenRiach 39 Year Old 1972 Single Cask 802

This is the oldest BenRiach I have tasted sof ar. No less than 39 years of age, distilled while I still ran around in diapers. And according to the ABV, bottled in the nick of time. Only 168 bottles of this stuff, released in Batch 8, were sold. So the largest part of the hogshead contents were shipped several miles up. Lucky angels!

This is a classic, no frills Speysider, but of remarkable quality. Extremely fruity on apricots, melon, peach and banana. Hardly any spices. Soft as butter. Handwarmth works wonders. Honey, caramel, heather and beeswax.

It is very soft at the onset, but very tasty too. A lot of fruit, again, including some citrus at this point. On the palate, some spices do rear their heads. Nice mouthfeel, but not overwhelming. Midpalate a slight bitterness creeps in, but such a balance after 39 years? Wünderbar.

The finish is not overly long and ends in toasted oak.

It is not very complex, but it does show a high level of class. This is a gentleman among the BenRiach. If you can still find it, be aware that you will need to fork over 400 EUR. Ouch!

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