I think Benrinnes is one of the distilleries with the largest number of unaware drinkers in the world. You get some Benrinnes in every bottle of Johnny Walker, thus by exension, it has a huge number of drinkers. Yet, I’m not sure that every malthead had the opportunity to have a Benrinnes single malt, as the bottlings are relatively few and far between.
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Named for a nearby mountain, Benrinnes was owned by John Dewar and Sons, and came into the United Distillers portfolio with them, but was not sold on to Bacardi by Diageo. The distillery was separated from other Speyside distilleries by its process. Until 2007, Benrinnes was partially triple distilled.
There have only been five official bottlings of Benrinnes by UD/Diageo. The only regular bottling was a 15 year old Flora and Fauna in 1991, and there have been several Special Releases, including one Rare Malt Selection in 1996 and a 23 year old and a 21 year old Special Releases in 2009 and 2014 respectively.
This is an independent bottling of a 26 year old single cask Benrinnes by The Bottlers. This is a stunning refill sherry butt at cask strength which will tickle and old sherry loves’s fancy.
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Benrinnes 1982, 26 Year Old by The Bottlers, Refill Sherry Butt #3229 (57.4% ABV, NCF, NC)
Appearance: Dark Mahogany, slow and thin legs.
Nose: Deepest sherry and oak. High alcohol on nose. This dram really needs water. Notes of a dusty spice store, old leather, tobacco, a lot of oak on the nose, light notes of furniture polish. Water tones down the polish and brings out the classic old sherry, tobacco leaf. Harsh without water and a true stunner with it.
Palate: Very powerful oak to the point of overpowering the malt without water. A lot of old sherry, concentrated dried fruit, spicy with pepper and ground cinnamon with a lot of tannins and tobacco. Satisfyingly mouth drying!
Linger: Long overall with sweet and oaky notes with some polish and mild spice in the gullet. Dried fruit concentrate, sweet on the cusp of woody with some metallic note.
Conclusion
Fabulous dram. Water is your friend here! I think this might have been even more of a stunner given slightly less time in the cask, but we’re splitting hairs here. This is an absolute stunner, and if you come across it, pick up a bottle.
Yet another stunner from Ishai!!! Thanks, man!
1 comments on “A Benrinnes Sherry Bomb!”