The BenRiach has given its whiskies all kinds of Latin sounding names since they reopened in 2004. This one, as you can guess by the name is a smoky one, and (substantially less obvious) has been finished on Dark Rum casks.

I usually am not a big fan of finishes but there are some true gems hidden out there, which of course makes me very willing to try!

Nose:
Lots of prickling smoke, that gets to you right away. The smoothness that usually goes with a rum cask comes quite a bit later when it gets a lot more sugary.

Taste:
The taste is a lot lighter than I expected after the blast of smoke on the nose. Also the smoke is somewhat less obvious. It has some more defined flavours of sweet smoke and heather.

Finish:
It gets fruity at last. Not overly so, but fruity nonetheless. The taste doesn’t really develop but lingers a bit. Does that make for a short finish? Quite sweet again.

I’m not a fan. The whisky, to me, is a bit one dimensional. Some smoke and a bit of sweetness doesn’t make for something great. It lacks in complexity and overal interestingness…

BenRiach Aromaticus Fumosus, 12yo, 46%, about 42 euros at De Whiskykoning.

Nose: 4
Taste: 4
Finish: 4
Overal experience: 4
Price/quality: -1

Total: 15 points