The Benriach distillery is not very well-known in this northeastern corner of Europe where I live. Heart of Speyside is BerRiach’s “entry-level” product, it has no age statement, it is an affordable and in that sense a malt whisky that is certainly very suitable for beginners. The manufacturer must have had the idea of ​​making an affordable (bulk) product that could be sold all over Europe and at the same time make a name for the distillery. As the name suggests, the Benriach distillery is located in the heart of Speyside, Scotland’s largest whisky production area. It is owned together with the GlenDronach distillery by the American Brown-Forman, which is better known as the owner of Jack Daniels or Diplomatico rum. Although it is a fairly affordable malt whisky (70cl / 24.99€), the producer has not saved money on its appearance. The bottle is made of sturdy glass with a cork stopper.It has natural colours and it is not chill-filtered. Both of these are quite exceptional for a malt whisky in this price range. As I wrote already, it has no age statement, but the wise men of the internet estimate its maturation time to be somewhere between 7-10 years.

In the glass, the colour is very light, even slightly lighter than lager beer. The smell is light and quite sweet. A little apple, honey, lemon and wheat biscuits. Lightly nutty, with hints of malt and oak. Not a bad aroma, but not very special either. The taste is light and slightly sweet. It has a dose of pepper and spice, in addition to fruitiness and honey. The alcohol feels a bit sharp, the aftertaste reveals citrus acidity and bitterness. The light, fruity and honey flavour makes the whisky easy to sip. However, the taste is somewhat dull and flat, so I used the product more for cocktails than sipping. 

77/100