A few days ago, we reported the news that Brown-Forman decided to pause production at its Slane Irish Whiskey distillery for the foreseeable future, part of a broader trend of recent bad news in the whiskey industry. The company also owns a few scotch distilleries: Glendronach, Glenglassaugh, and Benriach. Last year, it paused production at Glenglassaugh and moved to a “shared production” model with Benriach. But the latest release from Benriach was distilled 31 years ago, well before any of this occurred. Shades of Smoke might sound like it’s not actually very smoky, but this excellent new single malt provides a healthy dose of peat along with a range of other flavors.

Benriach is a Speyside distillery that has been around since the late 19th century. That area of Scotland is not generally known for making peated scotch, at least compared to Islay, but there are indeed distilleries there that produce smoky whisky. Benriach is one of them, making both peated and unpeated whisky and aging it in a wide variety of different casks. Master blender Rachel Barrie is in charge of the operation, as well as at its two sister distilleries, and she was responsible for selecting the barrels that went into this new release. Shades of Smoke is a 31-year-old whisky distilled in 1994, which is the year that the distillery says it started to increase production of peated whisky, that was bottled at 48.1 percent ABV.

This release is a partnership with digital artist Stefano Contiero, who was commissioned to to design the packaging. According to the brand, there are multiple editions of the bottle, each with artwork that was created digitally and captured at different moments during its creation. “Tasting alongside Rachel was instrumental in unlocking a deeper understanding of the whisky’s composition and the playful energy behind its creation,” said Contiero in a statement. “It gave me insight into the craftsmanship and layering of flavors, which I sought to reinterpret in my generative algorithm, allowing forms and colors to emerge organically, much like how the whisky’s notes unfold over time.”

We were able to sample Shades of Smoke, and as mentioned before there is definitely more than a shade
here (and yes, we get that “shades” also refers to color). Look for notes of treacle-peat, tropical fruit, apple, molasses, vanilla, lemon, orange, butterscotch, and plum on the palate, with just a hint of heat on the finish. Benriach Shades of Smoke (SRP $925) is available now to purchase at select retailers and websites like Total Wine.