Since 2004, the year Billy Walker and his partners bought it from Chivas, Benriach has been experiencing years of great excitement, with the immediate restart of production, the launch of a core range with a huge variety of bottlings, as well as the total renewal of the logo and packaging. Among the many releases, we also note this “Horizons”, a vatting of ex bourbon barrels aged for 12 years, with a finish in Oloroso sherry casks. And just to put flesh on the bones, this is a triple distillation malt.
N: the alcohol is a bit too harsh and the rest is very easy to tell: there is some vanilla from the bourbon maturation and there is a pinch of roundness given by the finish (toffee). Everything stays on the surface, without too much complexity. Shortbread and dried fruits. Lots of malt, fresh and vegetable. A hint of fragrant wood and a little more. Chips of red apples and orange zest, distantly reminding of some minerality. Anyway, every note is dehydrated!
P: good body, ok Something better than the nose in terms of warmth and intensity, but the flavors are unbalanced: too much aggressive alcohol, too monochord effect. A unique taste halfway between orange liqueur, vanilla and dried nuts (hazelnuts), an indistinct and very dry taste that seems to turn bitter and oaky. And even the malt is young and uninviting. Citrus peel, tangerine? With water, forget it… it’ll loosen up a bit.
F: it’s short and it’s still on mixed nuts, with an unpleasant “modern blend” aftertaste. Hints of fortified wine, but it’s not round. Almost bitter.
Considering the excellent work of revitalization on the other distilleries of the group led by Billy Walker (Glendronach and Glenglassaugh), we always approach with great curiosity every new Benriach bottling. But this time we are quite disappointed. In our opinion, ‘Horizons’ is saved from a complete rejection only because on the palate – perhaps thanks to the full abv – it has a good kick and a decent intensity. That said, it offers a glimpse of the flaws that a modern whisky can carry, from an excessive alcoholic pungency to a poor range of smells and tastes: 77/100.
Sottofondo musicale consigliato: Saint Motel – My Type.
