The colour is a deep copper. On the nose, an excellent intertwining of peat and port - no surprise but it is nice! Pencil shavings, herbal (mint and sage), lots of sea salt. Wet smoke at the campfire. Christmas spices, dates and a hint of rum. Slightly balsamic. Water creates an interesting mustiness from old books. A pleasure.
On the palate, the balance is maintained. Roasted almonds, berries and, obviously, a prominent tawny port flavour (I'm willing to bet there was a good measure or two left in the cask before they poured in the new make!) Some vanilla. If you love Speyside peat, you'll love this - it works nicely, but could be more complex; water, however, adds some spice.
The long finish features more pencil shavings with subtle, rum raisin and soft leather. This is a lovely whisky, with just the right balance between the peat and the wood finish, which can be very difficult to obtain. Highly recommended for the peat freaks who are getting a little tired of having their tastebuds exhausted.
I apologize - I hit "send" before writing a little bit about this particular expression:
Importanticus Fumosus (Latin for "smoky port") is a 12 year old peated malt matured in American oak, then finished in tawny port hogsheads. It is a limited edition of only 2,520 bottles. Like all BenRiachs, it is non-coloured and non-chill-filtered.