Origin: Speyside (Scotland)
Type: Single Cask Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Strength: 53.2%ABV
Ageing cask: Ex sherry amontillado first fill
Chillfiltered: No
Additional coloring: No
Owner: Valinch & Mallet Ltd.
Average price: € 140.00
Official website: www.valinchandmallet.com
When at the last Milano Whisky Festival we asked Davide Romano, mind and arm together with Fabio Ermoli of Valinch & Mallet, to point out to us among the new releases two whiskies that he considered particularly successful and original, one of them was today’s Benrinnes (you will know the other one soon).
Distilled in 2008 and bottled in 2024, from a single cask ex sherry amontillado first fill, it is offered in The Young Masters series at 53.2%ABV in 440 bottles still widely available.
Benrinnes is a distillery of the large Diageo family that we feel is never talked about enough, and the ex sherry amontillado casks are capable of quite unique contributions. It goes without saying that we are curious to know the result.
Tasting Notes
The colour is pale amber.
On the nose, a strong spicy dimension (marjoram, nutmeg and white pepper) is cadenced by balsamic undertones (eucalyptus) and lined with a touch of wood. Sweetness remains, at least initially, an undercurrent, with a fruity note of apricot and a recollection of blood orange peel acting as bridesmaids to a floral side in which primrose and cyclamen stand out. As the olfactory analysis progresses, a memory of chewy berry candy emerges. We do not know if caramelised boiled meat has ever come out of a chef’s kitchen, but it certainly comes out now, on a sensory level, from our nose.
On the palate, the sweetness is much more pronounced and the caramel becomes more intense, which translates into an aroma of caramelised white-fleshed fruit (apple and pear). The spiciness is more subtle (white pepper), while blood orange goes hand in hand with memories of polished light wood. The body is soft and supple, and the mouth is pleasantly lined with a respectable creamy dimension (nougat, cream), with an aroma of dried figs to seal it all.
The finish is very long, with the caramel gradually fading, a note of pepper drying the mouth and dried figs at the end.
A splendid Benrinnes, spicier on the nose and sweeter, though never faintly so, on the palate. A drink that is anything but predictable, yet comforting, with a persistent finish.
Vote: 88/100