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| Hello, that is one in every of our (virtually) day by day tastings. Santé! |
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December 3, 2021
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A reasonably lengthy verticale of younger to center aged Ben-rinnes
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Benrinnes Distillery (Andrew Wooden)
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I feel we’ll kick this off with a type of recent super-good and dangerously straightforward new ‘Orcines’ from Lyons, France. It is to be remembered that Benrinnes used to do some sort of partial triple-distillation utilizing some intermediate stills between the wash and spirit ones, till 2007 after they switched to double-distillation. In principle, pre-2007 Benrinnes was once meatier and extra sulphury, considerably ala Mortlach.
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Benrinnes 11 yo 2009/2020 (46%, The Whisky Lodge, Orcines) 
Image is that of one other bottling within the Orcines vary. So, that is ‘new regime’ Benrinnes. Color: white wine. Nostril: there, this humble taster is now discovering this one reasonably a bit meaty and sulphury. Go determine. Somewhat a number of paraffin, soot, muddy touches, plaster, hay, carbon mud, brake pads, sourdough, and never one single ounce of fruit. Very austere and gristy. Mouth: begins a bit bitter, on, effectively, bitter cherries and cider apples, earlier than it will get very grassy, with solely touches of bitter oranges. Apart from that, we’re virtually consuming liquid grist and wheat bran. End: medium, with a bit extra citrus and vanilla in the direction of the aftertaste. Feedback: I discover this very rustic, and possibly fairly true to the distillery’s model. The most recent Strathmill Orcines was ten occasions simpler.
SGP:261 – 85 factors. |
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Benrinnes 11 yo 2008/2020 (59.9%, James Eadie, 1st fill oloroso end, cask #4/1, 563 bottles)
Color: gold, a lot much less darkish than anticipated. Nostril: there’s a barely sulphury meatiness (a lot for brand new double-distillation) however all the remaining is a traditional good almondy and fruity nostril, with quince jelly and custard. However it burns a bit bit… With water: gooseberries and recent damaged branches, pancakes, shortbread and butterscotch..; that is effectively the model of the home. Mouth (neat): feels good, thick and oily, with marzipan and bitter almonds, however as soon as once more it will get a bit sizzling and burning. In spite of everything, that is virtually 60% vol. (finely noticed, S.) With water: similar growth as on the nostril, with gooseberries, granny smith, lemons… And croissants. End: reasonably lengthy and limoncello-y. Feedback: I’ll have stated earlier than, that in my e book, this sensibly priced sequence virtually by no means disappoints (I am not even certain why I added ‘virtually’).
SGP:551 – 86 factors. |
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Benrinnes 12 yo 2008/2021 (54.8%, Fable Whisky, The Ghost Piper of Clanyard Bay, Chapter One, hogshead, cask #305966, 255 bottles) 
At all times these beautiful labels. Ten extra factors simply due to the labels! (why do I really feel the necessity to add that I am joking…). Color: white wine. Nostril: recent croissants and marmalade, plus fudge and pancakes, that is what I might name an ideal breakfast malt. Oh and porridge with slices of banana… and a nip of this whisky (maintain on, round assessments, that absolutely cannot work). With water: as anticipated, extra bread, doughs, grist and softer citrus. Mouth (neat): it’s simply good, stuffed with bread, malt, lemon, nougat and vanilla, with just a bit Timut pepper and a wee hotness within the background (tough eau-de-vie). With water: very good tight citrus, we went from wrestling to gymnastics. End: lengthy, lemony. Lime, yuzu… Solely the aftertaste is a wee tad hotter/muddier. Touches of uncooked kirschwasser. Feedback: solely the marginally rougher aftertaste prevented me from going as much as 89. Wonderful drop.
SGP:651 – 88 factors. |
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All proper, 2009, 2008, then…
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Benrinnes 11 yo 2007/2019 (58.5%, Cadenhead, Genuine Assortment, bourbon barrel, 216 bottles)
Cadenhead are/had been having many such younger Benrinnes. BWT, was this double-distilled or triple-distilled? That is some information they need to have added! (all proper S., sufficient with these geekeries please) Color: straw. Nostril: pure malt whisky with out a lot cask works if any, so reasonably the other of the James Eadies. Each model work in my e book. Mashed potatoes and celeriac, recent butter, chalk, then dandelions and grass. Some gentian (delicate hurray). With water: custard. Mouth (neat): superb, shiny and tight, ueber-citrusy and grassy. Zests and honey. With water: actual candy. Heather honey and limoncello, lemon drops… End: similar. Lengthy. Feedback: wonderful, actually. Very reasonable costs too.
SGP:551 – 86 factors. |
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Benrinnes 18 yo 2000/2019 (55.7%, Cadenhead, Small Batch, bourbon barrel, 618 bottles)
Color: straw. Nostril: I am reminded of the Orcines, as that is way more austere, chalky, grassy and virtually un-fruity this far. A drop of antiseptic that does not fairly belong right here. I might consider water is required. With water: some chalk and a few lemons waking up. An excellent signal. Mouth (neat): whole lemon bomb, which would come with variants corresponding to kumbawa. Nah, nothing to do with kumbaya. With water: and there, lemon tarte with caramelised meringue, lemon curd and bamboo shoots. End: lengthy tart and wonderful. Feedback: nice high-intensity fattish lemony drop. I do know these bottling are likely to go unnoticed, however that isn’t honest.
SGP:651 – 87 factors. |
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Benrinnes 20 yo 1997/2018 (58%, Cadenhead for HNWS Taiwan, Single Cask, bourbon barrel, 192 bottles)
Color: mild gold. Nostril: good stability between shortbread, lemon curd, nougat, branches, celeriac and bergamots. These bergamots are notably pretty. With water: dough, flour and simply mash popping out. ‘Touring a distillery’. Mouth (neat): high-power citrus and minty herbs. Inexperienced chartreuse and, effectively, extra inexperienced chartreuse. Excellent earthiness. With water: fairly distinctive. Cadenhead had been having many such 1997s and so far as I can bear in mind, they’ve all been nice. Excellent malt for refill wooden. End: lengthy, fats, good. Feedback: this was scandalously brief, I agree. Nonetheless, the whisky’s incomparably lengthy and extra exact than a Rolex. Which, in reality, is not… oh neglect.
SGP:551 – 89 factors. |
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Benrinnes 23 yo 1997/2021 (53%, WhiskySponge, 1st fill sherry hogshead, 233 bottles)
‘It tastes prefer it appears’ say the Sponge’s official pages at Decadent Drinks’. Effectively, does it actually style like one thing by Keith Haring? Color: workplace espresso. Nostril: a drop of workplace espresso certainly (ha), in any other case a number of metallic polish, umami, Corinth currants, burnt kougelhopf (our most well-liked kougelhopfs), dried longans, pipe tobacco, beef jerky and English brown sauce. And but, it isn’t precisely ‘heavy’. With water: appears like somebody’s simply opened a household pack of fruit-flavoured beef jerky within the room. And bottle of very chocolaty oloroso. Mouth (neat): reasonably a bit fats and, certainly, sooty and sulphury (as in a sulphury distillate, not from a sulphurous sherry cask), with considerable tobacco and leather-based, in addition to marmalade and goulash. Jaffa muffins maintain it a bit simpler. With water: reasonably a traditional younger sherried malt distilled within the Nineteen Fifties and bottled round 1970, simply with none OBE, naturally. End: reasonably lengthy and reasonably again on tobacco and leather-based, with some fig chutney within the aftertaste. Feedback: a wonderful heavy wrestler, 80% whisky and 20% sherry. Fairly. Cellar for twenty years and it will attain 90.
SGP:462 – 88 factors. |
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Benrinnes 1995/2017 (54.9%, Cairn Mor, Celebration of the Cask, hogshead, cask #7799, 255 bottles)
Most likely essentially the most annoying label ever, along with Adelphi’s microscopic ones. Effectively, at the very least Cairn Mor changed them afterward… (I am going to must borrow Ralfy’s magnifier at some point). Color: white wine. Nostril: powerful and chalky, bready, doughy, pure, unsexy. Melon pores and skin may be very apparent right here. With water: properly fermentary. Provence melon with white Port and drops of chartreuse. Assist your self… Mouth (neat): reasonably wonderful that I might discover this a lot melon once more. Even Bruichladdich has much less melon. Even melon liqueur has much less… With water: wonderful swimmer. Natural liqueurs, liquorice and fruit skins. Together with melon, naturally. End: reasonably lengthy, with inexperienced bananas chiming in. Feedback: I might say these Benrinnes stay under the radars as a result of the ‘model identify’ (urgh) is just about non-existent. However all of them make for good examples of distillate-driven whiskies. Even the Sponge’s sherried one remained sort of distillate-driven.
SGP:461 – 87 factors. |
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Maybe one other 1995, shortly…
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Benrinnes 23 yo 1995/2019 (51.1%, Cadenhead, Small Batch, bourbon hogshead, 708 bottles)
What Mark Watt did at Cadenhead’s was equal to what Karl Lagerfeld did at Chanel’s. Simply saying. Color: gold. Nostril: not a bomb, however these vattings not often are. It’s essential take your time with them… Some inexperienced bananas, some lemon, some menthol, lotus leaves, pink grapefruits, ginger tonic… With water: some bready tones, banana cake… Mouth (neat): simply superb, with mushy fruits and citrus. Some coconut water (a sense of pina colada – that is the oak) and tangerine liqueur. Even a wee rutscherla of Gewurztraminer. For those who have no idea what a rutscherla is, that simply signifies that you are not Alsatian, which is completely superb thoughts you. As they are saying, all people’s good. With water: extra tight and tart citrus. End: very citrusy, with a fats, oily base. At all times welcome. Feedback: discretely superlative. No, we can’t elaborate.
SGP:561 – 88 factors. |
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Do we are saying ten’s quantity? Did not I inform our medical doctors (who’re all whisky fans) that I might by no means have greater than ten whiskies in a row anymore, cross my coronary heart?
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Benrinnes 18 yo 1988/2006 (55.9%, Cadenhead, Genuine Assortment, bourbon hogshead, 246 bottles) 
From a bottle I purchased on location at CAD Covent Backyard because it got here out. Which should not matter a lot, let’s crack it open… Color: straw. Nostril: menthol and terpenes, and some varnishy touches that should not fairly be right here. Then lemons. With water: similar, no adjustments. It is not unattainable that this make would pre-date Benrinnes’ heyday, which can have began round 1995. Is somebody a Benrinnes knowledgeable? Please report (for glory)… Mouth (neat): citrus, mint, syrups. With water: similar. No meats and no sulphur, not even candles, reasonably simply lemon and pine needles, plus sugarcane syrup. End: medium, on related notes. Some antiseptic within the aftertaste. Feedback: bwah bwah bwah, to suppose that I needed to endure EasyJet service to convey this again. Effectively, in reality, they’ve at all times been a lot friendlier and useful than British Airways, Swiss, KLM or Air France. Which, I agree, ain’t too exhausting to do.
SGP:451 – 79 factors. |
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All proper amigo, we discovered those that needed to be meaty very fruity, and those that had been speculated to be fruitier fairly meaty. I feel we’ll drop this recreation and retire to a distant monastery with no booze and no Web. Adios.
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