Benriach 26, b.1985, Single Cask Bottling for Shinanoya, Tokyo, Japan, Hogshead Cask No. 2000, 184/309, 51.7% abv.

Nose: white and green grapes, over-ripened bosc pears, viney, a little floral. As usual these old Benriachs are quite nice on the nose.

Palate: well bodied, initial palate is salty honey, mid palate has salt, peat, honey, smoke, back palate focuses more on the salt and peat. A little surprised there wasn't a significant fruit profile.

Finish: long, has a sweet brown sugar aftertaste, salt and peat linger.

Dry glass: smells like fabric.

Wow, this one is very similar to the label description, that the nose is fruity, but the palate has peat! I never would have known! It's not dry, great body, very tasty, executes well, one of the best nose/palate polar opposites I've had.

Grade: A-

Whiskyfun.com, Serge, sgp:555, 91 points

Image courtesy of Eric Yee.

Eric Yee

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