Continuing our Benriach sessions, with another finish, this time an older 17 year old Rioja wine finish. For those of you who are not familiar with the wine world, Rioja denotes a wine region in Spain. Rioja wines are made from vines growing in the La Rioja region, as well as some part of Navarra, and the Basque province of Álava. Saying Rioja is not really saying a lot about the wine cask, since there are quite a few grape verities used in Rioja wines. I could not find anymore information regarding which wineries or grape types are used here in the finishing casks. Wine finishes can be very good, and can also be too influential as to totally mask the whisky aromas. Some people do not like wine finishes and prefer the “natural” whisky profile, however I do find some wine finishes very good, and often they do complement the whisky quite nicely. So, without further ado, let’s start our dramming session. Ole!
The BenRiach 17, Rioja finish , 46% ABV , £42
Nose: Sweet, and perfumed. lots of spice vanilla and some flower blossom (can’t really pinpoint it) , also some grape shells, and little bit of sweet dough.
Palate: Thick, viscous, sweet entry with Demerara sugar, creamy with a Capital C , and i like that!. Fruit are also included in the package (peach and apricot compote) , honey, oak, and milk chocolate. Tannins are not very strong, also not very winey.
Finish : Chocolate, pollen, vanilla.
Bottom line:
This is a great example of a good wine finish. It does not impose itself on the whisky, while still offering many aromas and complementing the palate. this is how i like my wine finishes. Great nose, with an even nicer palate. Definitely one of the better BenRiachs I’ve tasted recently.