Discontinued

Recommended

For the details…

Poor Benriach. No sooner did it start its life during the whisky boom of the 1890s than the Pattison crash hit, devastating the industry, and with it Benriach. The distillery had been founded in 1897, and lasted only 2 years, closing in 1899.

It was built by John Duff, who had previously built the successful Glenlossie and Longmorn distilleries (also near Elgin). After its premature demise, Benriach served as a maltings for neighbor Longmorn. Finally, it reopened in its own right in 1965, and interestingly, some peated whisky was distilled along with the normal unpeated make to provide a substitute for Islay whisky in blends. A first official release appeared in the 1990s, however the distillery’s parent firm, Chivas Bros, shuttered the distillery in the early aughts.

Rescue came in the form of an independent consortium spearheaded by Billy Walker. The plant was refurbished, production recommenced, and the new owners launched a raft of vibrantly colored new bottlings from existing stocks using various wood finishes on both peated and unpeated whiskies. For many years, BenRiach had a greater variety of extant official bottlings at highly affordable price points–many presented naturally–than almost any other distillery. 

The distillery was sold to American firm Brown Forman, owners of Jack Daniels, in 2016. The new ownership has rebranded Benriach; it is now more widely available, in much more staid bottles and with rather less exuberant variety in the finishes.

Arumaticus Fumosous was one of a variety of peated expressions with droll, faux-Latin names, released under the previous ownership. Aged 12 years, it was finished in rum casks. This one was a winner, with a rich, woody smokiness, veering just a little more deeply into engine oils, but balanced with lots of dark fruit. 

BenRiach Arumaticus Fumosous 12 46% abv

Nose: Smoky, luxurious, rich. Plummy. Blackberry cobbler. Stoned wheat thin crackers. There’s a crisp maltiness underpinning the rich fruit notes and smokiness. Mossy rotting wood, old leaves. Earthy, forest-y. Engine.

Body: Medium, sharp, and then a little oily.

Palate: Woodsmoke dominates the front palate. Burnt caramel and full-bodied coffee. Juicy. Prunes. Dried papaya. Some sweetness with a smoky, bitter foundation. Subtle and sophisticated.

Finish: Gently fading, mostly the flavors are the same as the palate.

Score: 93/100

Who should buy it?: If you like your peat smoke both assertive and nuanced, this one’s a winner. Alas, your only hope of laying a hand on this quality whisky these days is auction, and even there it’s not a regular. If you can find it for under $100, I’d highly recommend buying it.

Overall thoughts: A real gem of a whisky that deftly mixes peat smoke and the rum cask influence to wonderful effect. I wish they’d made more of this stuff!

Bottling Information:

Expression: BenRiach Arumaticus Fumosous 12 46% abv

Bottler: Proprietor

Range: Peated/Cask Finish

Bottle Code: 2012/11/21 16:54 LF11294

Presentation: Unchillfiltered and natural color

Details: Matured in American oak, finished in dark rum casks

Price: $45 or so, originally. Now, expect to pay closer to $100.

Availability: Auction only.

Distillery Information:

Region: Speyside

Location: Elgin, Morayshire

Geography: Inland

Date Founded: 1897

Owner: Benriach Distillery Co (Brown-Forman)

Website: https://www.benriachdistillery.com/en-us/

Capacity: 2,000,000

Plant Summary: MASH TUN: Traditional with conventional drainage system.; WASHBACKS: 8 Stainless Steel; STILLS: 4; HEAT SOURCE: Internal copper stills; CONDENSER: Traditional column condenser

Total expressions sampled: 13

Overall distillery score: S

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