BenRiach 32 Year Old 1978 for Asta Morris

Bert Bruyneel is not just an ex-Malt Maniac and ex-BenRiach collector, of course. Since a few months, he runs his own label ‘Asta Morris’ under which he has bottled quite a few gems already. The first BenRiach for Asta Morris was the 35 Year Old from 1975, which was bulls eye in every possible meaning. Let’s see what he’s bottled for us now.

Damn, this nose is even sweeter than the 1975 for The Whisky Agency that I have only just tried. But it is another kind of sweetness. Dark. Preserved raisins, dark honey, demerara rum, prunes, brown sugar, Apple sauce that has been stewing for a tad too long and is turning somewhat brown. Pear syrup. Softer than babyskin! No prickling whatsoever, but make no mistake: that is not a negative comment!

Oh, what a body! Very creamy and full on the palate. Syrupy, almost. Some green banana, again preserved raisins. Midpalate I get some oranges, making it bittersweet. The touch of oak wood balances this BenRiach beautifully. I will try not to get lyrical, but this is truly top of the line stuff. Don’t you dare to add water to this, infidels (just kidding)!

The finish lasts forever and remains wonderfully sweet.

Our man Bert keeps bottling precious casks from the BenRiach warehouses. It is not cheap, to say the least (if you can still find it at all), but it is one of the best BenRiach I have tasted to date (the best one being the BenRiach 1975 for Asta Morris, imagine that…and The One That Cannot be Named).

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