BenRiach "The Forty" Single Malt Scotch Review & Tasting Notes

Founded in 1898 by John Duff, the initial run for BenRiach was very short-lived - only two years. Then, it was shuttered due to the Pattison Crash. If you've not heard of it, the short story is it took out many distilleries. The longer story is it was caused by independent bottlers gaming the system, so much so that when the most prominent firm, Pattison, Edler & Company, went under, they took out nearly a dozen others. That cascaded and led to the bankruptcies of the distilleries. It was not a good time to be in the whiskey business.

 

It was then reopened in 1965 by The Glenlivet. During that 65-year hiatus, the building was never torn down because the distillery next door, Longmorn, used BenRiach's malting floor and some other equipment while it was mothballed. Then, Seagrams purchased The Glenlivet in 1978, which Pernod-Ricard acquired in 2001.

 

The distillery was shuttered again from 2002 to 2004. It was purchased by Brown-Forman, which owns The BenRiach to this day. The Master Blender, Rachel Barrie, runs things unconventionally Speyside.

 

Dr. Barrie holds that title at three distilleries: The GlenDronach, Glenglassaugh, and The BenRiach. She is the first female Master Blender to earn an honorary doctorate and an inductee of Whisky Magazine’s “Hall of Fame.” In September 2020, she was named a Keeper of the Quaich.

 

What does unconventionally Speyside mean? First and foremost, it isn't overly common for Speyside whiskies to be peated. BenRiach offers both peated and unpeated expressions. It also has an extensive collection of various cooperages that impart different flavors and characteristics to the matured whiskies.

 

Today I’m exploring something that I hope is very special. I selected that word because, to date, I’ve yet to taste anything less than lovely from this distillery. The Forty is what I’ve poured into my glass (and I will share my thoughts with you about it). As the name implies, it is a 40-year-old single malt Scotch whisky! Furthermore, it has wandered down that unconventional road of being peated. So, “hope” is a fair description of how I feel while letting this whisky breathe.

 

This Speyside Scotch spent 40 years in former Bourbon casks and a smaller amount of Port pipes and then bottled at 43.5% ABV (87°). Before you grow concerned over this Scotch being “watered down,” you should know that, unlike most of its American counterparts that increase in proof the older they rest, Scotch tends to lose proof the longer it stays in the barrel.

 

Distribution of The Forty is limited to the United States and, from there, appears only in “specialized retailers” across the country. I must disclose that The BenRiach provided me with a sample of this Scotch in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review.  

 

Let’s #DrinkCurious and discover what this limited-edition Scotch whisky is all about.

 

Appearance: I sipped this neat from my Glencairn glass. The liquid looked like it obviously spent much time in the barrel. It was the color of burnt umber. The medium rim was glued to the wall. As I stared at it, sticky tears finally fell into the pool of liquid sunshine.

 

Nose: The Forty’s aroma flowed from my glass while I waited for it to breathe. I encountered molasses, caramel, chocolate, orange zest, cherries, plums, and raisins. Yes, all of those smells! And, when I drew the air through my lips, I found leather and orange zest.

 

Palate: The mouthfeel was warm and carried a medium-to-thick weight. From there, I was lost in flavors. I could identify grapefruit, very dark chocolate, and raisins on the front of my palate. That transformed into Grand Marnier, black cherries, and plums at my palate’s midpoint. The back featured ancient leather, molasses, and honey-roasted nuts.

 

Finish: Dark chocolate, cherry pie filling, Grand Marnier, rum-soaked oak, almonds, and leather competed for attention after I swallowed. After those dispersed, grapefruit remained. Overall, the duration was long but even.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: One thing I purposefully omitted from this review's beginning is its price. You’ll pay about $4500 if you find one. To be absolutely transparent, that’s way out of my comfort zone for any whiskey, no matter what it is or where it originates. As such, the “value statement” of the BBB rating will be ignored. Instead, it will rely solely on the sipping experience. So, here we go.

 

I expected something peaty. There was none – not even a hint! It must have been absorbed over the four decades it spent interacting with the wood and elements. The grapefruit was unexpected; that’s not something I commonly run across in a Scotch.

 

However, The Forty is an incredibly complex Scotch from nosing to finish. As I stated when describing the palate, I found myself lost during the process. That became slightly frustrating for me as a reviewer. I don’t believe that would be anything but a glorious experience for someone drinking it for pleasure.

 

And that leads me to my verdict: If you see this on the menu at a whisky bar, splurge and order a pour. You need this in your life. If you’re feeling like you have four-and-a-half grand to spend on an experience, The Forty will be something you’ll likely remember forever. In that case, my Bottle rating is warranted.

 

My point is, if you see it, find a way to get it into your mouth. It is pretty unconventional, and you won’t be sorry. Cheers!

 

 

 

My Simple, Easy-to-Understand Rating System

• Bottle = Buy It
• Bar = Try It
• Bust = Leave It

 

Whiskeyfellow encourages you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit but begs you do so responsibly.