Peat it is, you see. Only from the forest, not the sea.
The BenRiach distillery was founded in 1898 by John Duff. The distillery has largely remained inactive during the 20th century since it was mothballed in 1900 due to the collapse of a major Scotch Whisky purchaser. It was reopened again in 1965, but remained struggling until 2004 when it was acquired by an independent consortium. The company was led by two South African funding partners, Geoff Bell and Wayne Keiswetter, and Scotch expert Billy Walker, and is now owned by Brown-Forman.
The Curiositas 10 Year Old is an unusual Whisky to be made in a Speyside distillery, they’re more commonly produced in the western isle of Islay. It’s aged, as the name suggests, for 10 years in oak casks, reaffirming the traditionalist’s belief that peated malts achieve an optimum balance of peat-bittersweet and oak infusion after 10 years of maturation. The Curiositas 10 Year Old has a PPM Value (Phenol Parts per Million) of 55, which is very high.
What does BenRiach Curiositas 10 Year Old taste like?
The Flavor Spiral™ shows the most common flavors that you'll taste in BenRiach Curiositas 10 Year Old and gives you a chance to have a taste of it before actually tasting it.
We invented Flavor Spiral™ here at Flaviar to get all your senses involved in tasting drinks and, frankly, because we think that classic tasting notes are boring.
Dog Dogson's
Smartass Corner
Whisky or Whiskey? The spelling differs geographically. In Scotland, Japan, and some other parts of the world, distilleries usually spell it Whisky; in Ireland and the USA, they spell it Whiskey.
Strong peat flavor. Tastes like the primary grain was smoked peat aged in oak barrels. A drop of water brings out sweet honey vanilla flavors. Overall very enjoyable if you're a fan of smoky scotch.
Greg,
Quite enjoyable with well balanced peat and flavors of vanilla, honey, light fruit and barley finish. Esp. Impressive for a 10 year old. Price point seems ok. A fine dram for a winter evening by the fire
Benjamin,
The peat isn't shy, but it's not too aggressive or as challenging as an Islay. Lots of meaty sweetness behind the smoke, the nose carrying vanilla and grilled orange, while the palate is rich with salted caramel and toffee with a light sherry finish. It's a classically sweet Speyside in the cozy smoke of a campfire. Delicious
Paul,
Finally got around to cracking open my bottle and after tasting, I'm kicking myself for not opening it earlier. Loved the smokiness and paired with a great Cohiba Singlo what a great way to spend a couple of hours.
Uldis,
I am not fun of peaty wisky but BenRiach is not too smokey. Bitter after taste. Interesting but definetly not my favorit.
Viktor,
Amazing taste
Rebecca,
A little harsh, even for a 10yr. The peat/smoke is definitely front loaded, with a bit of oaky resin in the finish. Good, but not my favorite.
Will,
Smokey, Vanilla, phenols and a hint of sweetness!! Worth a try!!
Frank,
Balanced peat with honey, vanilla and barley notes.
MJ,
So smoky, so silky.
A long aftertaste with some barley notes.
Edward,
Now one of my favorites. Peaty which I love. Will be ordering again and again. Simply outstanding.
Chad,
Fruity, crisp nose. Not a very strong alcohol taste and kind of bland but drinkable and good flavor.
Karolis,
I found it lacking taste compared to the the other two in the box
alexey,
Smoky, peaty, and salty in perfect proportions. A hint of vanilla but not overpowering. Very smooth and pleasant.
Ben,
Nose: caramel, burnt toffee, butterscotch,
Taste: Moist buttery arrival, light smokey and peaty notes, candid fruit. Bottled at 46% some heat on the finish without water. With water and some time a sweetness of some honey vanilla creep in as well as some cereal notes at the top of the glass.
Mark,
Smoother than expected. Peaty, but not overpowering. Great for an intro to peatier scotch’s
Dave,
I enjoy peaty Scotch and this was a milder peat to me. It was tasty, with a nice, smooth vanilla/honey finish and a nifty nose of the sea. If Laphroaig or Ardbeg are too peaty for you, then the mildness of this might work for you.
William,
Unique for a speyside. Heavily peated but I feel that it cuts off the other flavors before they can develop
Jacob,
I love me some peat... but it was just ok.
Michael,
Its good but if you like the peat there are better drams.
Christine,
Smokey and sweet - nice and rich. A little extra kick from the 46% alcohol content, but it actually complements the flavor. Would never have guessed this was a Speyside - much more like an Islay!
Jedediah,
Not something I liked a bit to smoky for me
Daniel,
It's a good scotch. Phenols overwhelms the smoke more than I prefer with a bit of a noticable burn that lasts. The honey does come out great with the smoke and a little vanilla. Overall pretty good for a 10 year.
Tristan,
Apple peel and spice on the nose. Oily and creamy palate with notes of custard and baking spice. I would drink this again.
Joshua,
Tasty, beautiful, well-balanced whisky. Not what I was expecting from a Speyside and surprisingly low price point.
guest,
Beautiful peaty taste.
Brian,
One of my favourite peated malts.
Andrew,
Disgusting! I’ve had better $20 bottles of scotch.
James,
Smokey and good, great finish.
Avrom,
Solid 10 year. Neat smoky start with a vanilla finish.
Johann,
Smokey, with a good dose of phenols.
Polona,
Strong peaty - farmy, mineraly
Not balanced sweetness in the taste
Robert,
too much of a smoke flavor, tastes like someone dropped some liquid smoke into the bottle
Andrew,
Great flavor. Smooth and smokey finish. If you like scotch, this is very pleasant.
Richard,
Great for the price
Alex,
Nicely smoky with just enough sweet to notice it; the peat is not over baring at all. Makes for a very nice drink to sip.
Kenneth,
Spicy on the first sip, but it smooths out on the second sip. Sweet on the nose with an awesome smokey peat to round it out.
Stephen,
Delicious! The aroma is dominated by honey, and it hits hard on the first sip. It's light on the smoke. A very 'warm' scotch.