Benriach 21 Year Old Authenticus Peated Malt

I bought a bottle of this recently. Partly because I’d tried it before and liked it, and partly because it’s been discontinued. The Benriach website says that “the Authenticus 21yo has been discontinued and has been replaced by the Authenticus 25yo.” I haven’t tried the 25 year old replacement, but I figured I grab a bottle of this wonderful stuff while I still could. It may eventually garner value as a collector’s item, and I considered saving it. But nah. It’s too good to sit on a shelf collecting dust.

Nose: Peat. Wet, mossy, earthy peat. What I first notice here is that there aren’t any strong briny or maritime notes that would be present in an Islay offering. While that may disappoint some, I love it. Instead this demonstrates a wonderful Speyside character. Lovely honey notes. Rich apples. Gentle caramel and cinnamon. Also, some wonderful malt/cereal notes.

Palate: Certainly peat in the foreground, but there’s also light honey, sour raisins, charcoal, nuts, figs, dried fruit, oak, and apples. A very gentle spice carries us into the finish.

Finish: The lovely earthy peat notes continue. Oak is here, as is the gentle honey and some malt. More nuts. Wait… there’s something oddly sour here. Like sour raisins, or sour apples. Still smooth, but there’s a mildly acidic bite to this. Like a very young granny smith apple. Not unpleasant in the least. Truly unique and delicious. Medium length finish.

Like other older releases from Benriach, this dram is surprisingly fresh and vibrant, with a strong nutty presence. I wouldn’t guess that this is any older than 15 years old. What’s great about this dram is the peat. Very wet, fresh, and earthy. It’s gentle. The peat is the star, but it doesn’t overwhelm the other lighter notes. It’s not trying to copy Islay. It’s not salty or intense. For those of you who see ‘peated’ on the label and think you’re getting an Islay whisky here, you’re wrong. And you shouldn’t approach it as such. It’s a softer and calmer kind of peat. This is smooth, rich, and decidedly Speyside. The finish is of particular note, as the gentle sourness is truly unexpected and pleasant.

BUT, the finish could be longer and the palate doesn’t deliver everything that the nose promises. Also, peat is typically a somewhat bracing and in-your-face ingredient. Of course, I mean that in a good way. However I was a bit disappointed at first with how gentle this stuff is. But this is a wonderful and interesting whisky that I’m sad to say won’t be available for much longer. Grab it while you can, folks.

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