BenRiach makes peated whisky a few weeks a year, and some of that peated malt runs heavier than the rest. Smoke Season is built from the most heavily peated malt the house holds, bottled at a strength that does not let the smoke slip away.

The expert's description

BenRiach Smoke Season Double Cask is a Single Speyside Malt Whisky without an age statement, matured in bourbon casks and virgin oak and bottled at 52.8 %.

The bottling was assembled by Master Blender Rachel Barrie and uses the most heavily peated malt at the distillery. Speyside is not known for smoke, and BenRiach is one of the few distilleries in the region producing peated spirit as a fixed part of the year.

The two cask types pull in different directions. The bourbon wood gives vanilla and bright sweetness, while virgin oak, meaning fresh oak that has never held anything before, lays spice and a dry wood structure on top. Together they hold the smoke in place without muting it.

Tasting notes

Nose

Powerful peat smoke with burnt sugar, vanilla and a note of toasted wood.

Palate

Dense and smoky with caramel, black pepper and spiced fresh oak. The strength carries the smoke all the way without letting it turn dry.

Finish

Long and warm with lingering smoke, wood and a last touch of sweetness.

Specifications

Name: BenRiach Smoke Season Double Cask
Distillery: BenRiach
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Single Speyside Malt Whisky
ABV: 52,8 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon casks and virgin oak
Edition: Smoke Season Double Cask

Flavour profile

Smoky · Spiced · Full bodied · Oak driven · Sweet

Did you know?

Virgin oak is fresh wood that has never held wine, sherry or bourbon. The casks give quickly and forcefully, so they are rarely used alone in Scotch whisky, where they typically form a smaller part of a composition.

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Smokestack Lightning is a Howlin Wolf song from 1956 about a train passing in the night. Uncharted borrowed the name for a cask of peated BenRiach, and it is hard to think of a better image for whisky that rushes past and leaves a smell in the air.

The expert's description

BenRiach Smokestack Lightning 2009/2023 Uncharted Whisky Co. 13 years is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in an ex-bourbon hogshead and bottled at 53.4 % without chill filtration and without added colour.

The whisky was distilled in 2009 and drawn in 2023 after thirteen years. The label calls it Highland, which is correct in the formal sense, since Speyside falls administratively within the Highland region. BenRiach sits at Elgin in the middle of Speyside.

Uncharted Whisky Co. is a younger Scottish bottling house that names its releases after music rather than after cask numbers. An ex-bourbon hogshead gives bright sweetness and lets the peated malt stand out clearly, which is a more direct approach than wrapping the smoke in sherry.

Tasting notes

Nose

Dry smoke, lemon peel and vanilla. Behind it sit pale cereal and a suggestion of ash.

Palate

Powerful and dry with smoke, honey and spiced oak. The bourbon cask gives sweetness, but the smoke is allowed to lead.

Finish

Long and dry with ash, pepper and a last note of honey.

Specifications

Name: BenRiach Smokestack Lightning 2009/2023 Uncharted Whisky Co. 13 år
Distillery: BenRiach
Bottler: Uncharted Whisky Co.
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 13 years
ABV: 53,4 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Ex-bourbon hogshead
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2009
Bottled: 2023
Edition: Smokestack Lightning

Flavour profile

Smoky · Dry · Cask strength · Honeyed · Spiced

Investment potential

High. Peated BenRiach from 2009 is rare in independent bottlings, and Uncharted works purely with single casks in small runs. Spirit from before the 2016 change of ownership also grows gradually harder to find.

Did you know?

Speyside is formally a sub-region of the Highlands, so a Speyside distillery may call itself either on the label. Independent bottlers sometimes pick Highland to sidestep the expectations the word Speyside creates in the buyer.

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Forty years in cask is longer than most distilleries dare wait. The oak turns dominant, the alcohol drops, and every further year is a gamble that the whisky still has something to say when someone finally opens the valve.

The expert's description

BenRiach The Forty 40 years is a Single Speyside Malt Whisky matured in refill bourbon casks and refill port casks and bottled at 43.5 % without chill filtration and without added colour.

The bottling is the flagship of the house, assembled by Master Blender Rachel Barrie. Refill casks were a deliberate choice, since first fill wood would have run the whisky over long before the forty years were up. The port casks lay a layer of dark fruit over the bourbon matured core.

The 43.5 per cent is not a choice but a result. After forty years in a Scottish warehouse the strength falls on its own, and the whisky is bottled close to what the cask itself delivers.

Tasting notes

Nose

Deep dark fruit, plum and old oak with honey and a hint of tobacco.

Palate

Concentrated and velvety with dried fruit, cocoa and spiced oak. After forty years there is still fruit left, which is rarer than it sounds.

Finish

Very long and dry with dark fruit, oak and a warm note of spice.

Specifications

Name: BenRiach The Forty 40 år
Distillery: BenRiach
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Single Speyside Malt Whisky
Age: 40 years
ABV: 43,5 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Refill bourbon casks and refill port casks
Edition: The Forty 40 år

Flavour profile

Dark fruit · Full bodied · Oak driven · Spiced · Honeyed

Investment potential

High. Forty year old bottlings exist in very small quantities, and stocks of Scotch whisky from the 1980s shrink every year. Official flagship releases in that age bracket hold an established position on the collector market.

Did you know?

Around two per cent of a cask evaporates each year in Scotland. Over forty years that means well over half the original volume has vanished through the wood long before anyone got to taste it.

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If a distillery may send only one bottle out into the world, this is it. The Original Ten is the BenRiach signature written down, and everything else in the range relates to it in one way or another.

The expert's description

BenRiach The Original Ten 10 years is a Single Speyside Malt Whisky matured in bourbon casks, sherry casks and virgin oak and bottled at 43 %.

Three cask types is unusual for an entry bottle. The bourbon wood gives vanilla and bright fruit, the sherry adds sweetness and depth, and virgin oak lays spice and structure on top. The composition was created by Master Blender Rachel Barrie as part of the range overhaul that followed the Brown-Forman takeover.

There is a subtle suggestion of smoke in the whisky. BenRiach produces both unpeated and peated spirit, and a small share of the peated finds its way into the core bottling of the house without turning it into a smoky whisky.

Tasting notes

Nose

Fresh fruit, honey and toasted oak with a summer golden lightness.

Palate

Ripe pear, nectarine and a fine malty sweetness. The casks work together rather than fighting for room.

Finish

Almond and lightly spiced vanilla with small notes of smoke at the end.

Specifications

Name: BenRiach The Original Ten 10 år
Distillery: BenRiach
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Single Speyside Malt Whisky
Age: 10 years
ABV: 43 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon casks, sherry casks and virgin oak
Edition: The Original Ten 10 år
EAN no.: 5060399680547

Flavour profile

Fruity · Honeyed · Malty · Lightly spiced · Hint of smoke

Did you know?

BenRiach lay closed from 1900 to 1965 and was in that period all but forgotten by the whisky world. Today the core bottling is called The Original Ten, precisely because the distillery regards it as the starting point after the restart.

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Jamaican rum in a Scottish cask is not an obvious combination, which is probably why it works. The rum wood brings a tropical sweetness that meets the peat smoke somewhere neither of them expected to end up.

The expert's description

BenRiach The Smoky Ten 10 years is a Single Speyside Malt Whisky matured in bourbon casks, Jamaican rum casks and virgin oak and bottled at 46 %.

The bottling uses the peated spirit of the distillery, made only in defined periods each year. Three cask types are involved: bourbon gives vanilla, Jamaican rum adds tropical fruit and sweetness, and virgin oak lays spice and structure on top.

The combination of smoke and rum wood is rare in Scotch whisky and makes the bottling an obvious way in for anyone wanting to try peated malt without starting on the heaviest Islay bottles. The smoke reads aromatic rather than medicinal.

Tasting notes

Nose

Fresh fruit, honey and toasted oak with an aromatic note of smoke on top.

Palate

Fruit, aromatic smoky sweetness and toasted oak. The rum casks give a tropical edge that rounds the smoke off.

Finish

Medium and warm with smoke, vanilla and a last touch of sweetness.

Specifications

Name: BenRiach The Smoky Ten 10 år
Distillery: BenRiach
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Single Speyside Malt Whisky
Age: 10 years
ABV: 46 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon casks, Jamaican rum casks and virgin oak
Edition: The Smoky Ten 10 år
EAN no.: 5060399687300

Flavour profile

Smoky · Fruity · Sweet · Tropical · Spiced

Did you know?

Jamaican rum is known for its powerful esters, the aroma compounds that give banana and pineapple. The casks carry part of that character into the whisky, which is why rum wood rarely goes unnoticed in a composition.

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Marsala is a fortified wine from Sicily most people know from a veal sauce rather than from whisky. BenRiach put it in as the third cask type anyway, and it is decisions like that which make the range worth following.

The expert's description

BenRiach The Smoky Twelve 12 years is a Single Speyside Malt Whisky matured in bourbon casks, sherry casks and Marsala casks and bottled at 46 %.

The whisky is built on the peated spirit of the distillery and matured, somewhat unconventionally, in three cask types. Bourbon gives vanilla, sherry gives dark fruit, and the Marsala wood adds a nutty sweetness different from both sherry and port.

The combination has given the whisky an almost creamy, soft structure with layers of ripe fruit, aromatic smoky sweetness and warming oak spice. The two extra years over the Smoky Ten read as more depth rather than as more smoke.

Tasting notes

Nose

Powerful smoky notes with vanilla, toasted orange peel and roasted almond.

Palate

Dark chocolate, fruit, brown sugar, smoke and cocoa. The structure stays creamy and soft despite the smoke.

Finish

Persistent with a full smoky flavour and warming oak spice.

Specifications

Name: BenRiach The Smoky Twelve 12 år
Distillery: BenRiach
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Single Speyside Malt Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 46 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon casks, sherry casks and Marsala casks
Edition: The Smoky Twelve 12 år
EAN no.: 5060716140259

Flavour profile

Smoky · Creamy · Dark fruit · Nutty · Spiced

Did you know?

Marsala comes from the town of the same name on the west coast of Sicily and was developed by English merchants in the 1700s as an alternative to port and sherry. The casks remain rare in Scotch whisky.

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Mahogany in the glass, and no colouring has been added. Thirty years in four different cask types has pulled the whisky so dark that you can see the age long before you smell it.

The expert's description

BenRiach The Thirty 30 years is a Single Speyside Malt Whisky matured in sherry casks, bourbon casks, virgin oak and port casks and bottled at 46 %.

The bottling is a special release in the age ladder of the house and uses four cask types like the other older bottles. The port casks are what separate it from the Twenty Five, laying dark fruit and a light sweetness over the sherry matured core.

Thirty years gives a concentration that cannot be rushed. The colour is mahogany, the texture is thick, and the palate reads deep rather than fresh. It is the sort of whisky where the oak takes up a lot of room without the fruit having disappeared.

Tasting notes

Nose

Dark fruit, chocolate, raisin and honey.

Palate

Concentrated and deep with plum, smoked walnut, cocoa and baked orange.

Finish

Long and warm with smoked honey and dark fruit that hangs on.

Specifications

Name: BenRiach The Thirty 30 år
Distillery: BenRiach
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Single Speyside Malt Whisky
Age: 30 years
ABV: 46 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Sherry casks, bourbon casks, virgin oak and port casks
Edition: The Thirty 30 år
EAN no.: 5060716140044

Flavour profile

Dark fruit · Full bodied · Oak driven · Chocolate · Spiced

Investment potential

High. Thirty year old whisky from a distillery that for long periods sold everything into blends exists in very limited quantity. Official bottlings in that age class are among the most sought after on the collector market.

Did you know?

Under Scottish law nothing may be added to whisky except water and caramel colouring. When a thirty year old whisky like this reads mahogany without added colour, all of that colour comes from the casks and from time.

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Sherry first, bourbon and port after in smaller measures. It is a classic recipe, and The Twelve is the BenRiach take on what a Speyside malt should taste like when nobody is trying to surprise anyone.

The expert's description

BenRiach The Twelve 12 years is a Single Speyside Malt Whisky matured predominantly in sherry casks with a smaller share of bourbon casks and port casks and bottled at 46 %.

The bottling is the classic one in the core range of the house. The sherry carries the whisky with dark fruit and nut, the bourbon wood gives bright sweetness and vanilla, and the port casks lay a fruity edge on top without taking room from the sherry.

Forty-two years after the 1965 restart, BenRiach only became a brand in its own right in 2004. The Twelve belongs to the generation of bottlings assembled by Rachel Barrie after 2016, when the range was reshaped and built around fixed age steps.

Tasting notes

Nose

Maple honey, cocoa and baked forest fruit.

Palate

Cherry, baked orange and hazelnut with a lingering sultana note.

Finish

Spiced mocha with a long, warm close.

Specifications

Name: BenRiach The Twelve 12 år
Distillery: BenRiach
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Single Speyside Malt Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 46 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Predominantly sherry casks with bourbon casks and port casks
Edition: The Twelve 12 år
EAN no.: 5060399687188

Flavour profile

Sherry matured · Fruity · Nutty · Spiced · Soft

Did you know?

BenRiach runs three pairs of stills and can produce unpeated, peated and triple distilled spirit in the same plant. Triple distillation is otherwise best known from Ireland and from the Scottish Lowlands.

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Madeira matures through heat, not in spite of it. The wine is deliberately warmed for years until it tastes of burnt sugar and nut, and the casks carry part of that story into the whisky.

The expert's description

BenRiach The Twenty Five 25 years is a Single Speyside Malt Scotch Whisky matured in sherry casks, bourbon casks, virgin oak and Madeira casks and bottled at 46 %.

The bottling uses four cask types, the house approach in the older releases. The Madeira wood is what separates it from The Twenty One, adding a nutty sweetness with notes of burnt sugar that differs from both sherry and port.

Twenty-five years is a long time even by Scottish standards, and a considerable share of the cask contents has evaporated along the way. That is one reason bottlings in this age class are made in small quantities.

Tasting notes

Nose

Dried fruit, burnt sugar and walnut with a deep note of oak.

Palate

Rich and concentrated with raisin, caramel and spiced oak. The Madeira gives a nutty sweetness that keeps the whisky from turning dry.

Finish

Very long and warm with nut, dried fruit and a dry close of oak.

Specifications

Name: BenRiach The Twenty Five 25 år
Distillery: BenRiach
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Single Speyside Malt Whisky
Age: 25 years
ABV: 46 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Sherry casks, bourbon casks, virgin oak and Madeira casks
Edition: The Twenty Five 25 år
EAN no.: 5060716140020

Flavour profile

Sherry matured · Nutty · Full bodied · Spiced · Dried fruit

Investment potential

High. Twenty-five year old official bottlings exist in small quantities, and stocks of Scotch whisky from the 1990s fall steadily. Age stated bottles in that class hold an established place on the collector market.

Did you know?

Madeira was originally heated by accident. The wine travelled through the tropics as ballast, and when it turned out the heat improved it, producers started warming it deliberately in the warehouses on the island.

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Four cask types in one bottle sounds like something that could easily go wrong. Twenty-one years is long enough for the casks to find one another, and the result is more coherent than the arithmetic suggests.

The expert's description

BenRiach The Twenty One 21 years is a Single Speyside Malt Whisky matured in bourbon casks, sherry casks, virgin oak and red wine casks and bottled at 46 %.

Four cask types is the house approach in the older bottlings. Bourbon gives vanilla and honey, sherry dark fruit, virgin oak spice and structure, and the red wine casks add a fruit acidity that keeps the whisky fresh despite its age.

Twenty-one years is enough for the oak to leave a clear mark without the fruit disappearing. The bottling sits in the middle of the age ladder of the house, between The Twelve and The Twenty Five.

Tasting notes

Nose

Elegant with notes of light smoke, fruit, honey and spice.

Palate

Candied grape, cocoa and smoked pine nuts. The colour runs golden as honey, and the palate follows.

Finish

Caramelised pear and honey with a good long close.

Specifications

Name: BenRiach The Twenty One 21 år
Distillery: BenRiach
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Single Speyside Malt Whisky
Age: 21 years
ABV: 46 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon casks, sherry casks, virgin oak and red wine casks
Edition: The Twenty One 21 år
EAN no.: 5060716140013

Flavour profile

Fruity · Honeyed · Spiced · Lightly smoky · Full bodied

Investment potential

Medium. Twenty-one year old official bottlings exist in limited quantity, and stocks of BenRiach from the early 2000s are shrinking. Age stated bottles in that class hold a steady position on the market.

Did you know?

Red wine casks are among the least common cask types in Scotch whisky. They give fruit acidity and a light tannin edge, but they must be used carefully, since the tannins can quickly turn a whisky dry.

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That Boutique-Y puts cartoons on the label and batch numbers instead of cask numbers. Beneath the slightly unserious surface sits a very serious approach to finding casks from distilleries that otherwise never appear under their own name.

The expert's description

Benrinnes 11 years Batch 11 That Boutique-Y Whisky Company is a Single Speyside Malt Whisky bottled at 49 % in a 50 centilitre bottle.

Benrinnes sits at the foot of the mountain of the same name near Aberlour and is owned by Diageo. The distillery has for decades sent almost all of its production into blends, and official bottlings are rare. That is why independent houses like this one are the most practical route to tasting the place.

That Boutique-Y numbers its releases in batches rather than stating cask numbers, and each batch is made only once. This one gave 241 bottles, and the 50 centilitre format is the house standard.

Tasting notes

Nose

Barley, orange peel, apple and light nutmeg.

Palate

Soft and spiced with more nutmeg, ginger, fruit, citrus and peach.

Finish

Full of dried fruit, honey and almond.

Specifications

Name: Benrinnes 11 år Batch 11 That Boutique-Y Whisky Company
Distillery: Benrinnes
Bottler: That Boutique-Y Whisky Company
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Single Speyside Malt Whisky
Age: 11 years
ABV: 49 %
Size: 50 CL
Cask type: Batch 11
Number of bottles: 241
Edition: Batch 11

Flavour profile

Spiced · Fruity · Malty · Honeyed · Nutty

Investment potential

Medium. The batch was made once in 241 bottles and is not repeated. That Boutique-Y has a steady following among collectors, and the labels are collected in their own right.

Did you know?

Until 2007 Benrinnes used an unusual system with three stills in series, a partial triple distillation. It gives a heavy, almost meaty spirit that blenders have valued for decades.

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One cask, full strength, no filtration and no colouring. Signatory does nothing to the whisky beyond moving it from cask to bottle, and with a spirit like Benrinnes that is the most honest way to meet the place.

The expert's description

Benrinnes 1995/2015 Signatory Vintage 19 years is a Single Speyside Malt Whisky matured in a hogshead, cask no. 5895, and bottled at 52.9 % cask strength without chill filtration and without added colour.

The whisky went into cask on 6 June 1995 and was drawn on 9 April 2015 after nineteen years. The cask yielded 291 bottles, and the 52.9 per cent is the natural cask strength with no water added.

Benrinnes is known for a heavy, almost meaty spirit with a light sulphur edge, coming from worm tub condensers and from the old system of three stills in series. Nineteen years in a hogshead is enough to round the edges without removing the character.

Tasting notes

Nose

Dry malt, walnut and apple peel with a light mineral edge.

Palate

Powerful and dry with cereal, spiced oak and a meaty middle. The cask strength gives bite without burning.

Finish

Long and dry with nut, pepper and a last malty warmth.

Specifications

Name: Benrinnes 1995/2015 Signatory Vintage 19 år
Distillery: Benrinnes
Bottler: Signatory Vintage
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Single Speyside Malt Whisky
Age: 19 years
ABV: 52,9 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Hogshead, cask no. 5895
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 6 June 1995
Bottled: 9 April 2015
Number of bottles: 291
Edition: Cask Strength Collection

Flavour profile

Cask strength · Dry · Malty · Nutty · Spiced

Investment potential

High. Nineteen year old Benrinnes from a single cask in 291 bottles cannot be recreated, and spirit predating the 2007 rebuild of the distillery is sought after by those who know the old house style.

Did you know?

Benrinnes used worm tubs, long coiled copper pipes in cold water vats, instead of modern shell and tube condensers. The method gives less copper contact and therefore a heavier spirit with more meat and sulphur.

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Twenty-five winters on the slope of Ben Rinnes leave a mark on a spirit. The heavy, meaty distillate the distillery is known for has had time to settle and spread out. This is a bottle that smells of old warehouses and damp oak floors.

The expert's description

Benrinnes 1996/2022 Signatory 25 years is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in hogsheads and bottled at 53.2 % cask strength.

Signatory Vintage filled two hogsheads, cask no. 11712 and 11716, on 28 October 1996 and emptied them again on 18 January 2022. The result was 537 bottles for the Cask Strength Collection, the range where Signatory lets the cask speak without water and without filtration. The whisky is neither chill filtered nor coloured.

Until 2007 Benrinnes ran an unusual partial triple distillation, and the entire production still passes through worm tubs sunk in cold water outside. That gives a spirit with weight and an almost meaty texture — exactly the kind of body that can carry a quarter of a century in oak without tiring.

Tasting notes

Nose

Old oak, dried apricot and a dry nuttiness reminiscent of walnut shells. Underneath sit honey, a little cinnamon bark and a faint oily note that only comes with age.

Palate

Full and warm from the first sip. Malt, dark orange marmalade and caramelised sugar meet a peppery edge from the oak. The 53.2 % pushes, but it is never harsh — a few drops of water open a fruity core of baked apple.

Finish

Long and dry with toasted malt, tobacco leaf and a layer of spiced oak that lingers. It ends where many younger whiskies have run out of things to say.

Specifications

Name: Benrinnes 1996/2022 Signatory 25 years old Single Speyside Malt Whisky 53.2%
Distillery: Benrinnes
Bottler: Signatory Vintage
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 25 years
ABV: 53.2 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Hogsheads, cask no. 11712 and 11716
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 28/10/1996
Bottled: 18/01/2022
Number of bottles: 537
Edition: Cask Strength Collection

Flavour profile

Mature · Spicy · Nutty · Cask strength · Dry oak

Investment potential

Medium: Only 537 bottles from a distillery that is rarely released officially at this age. The Cask Strength Collection is sought after by collectors, and 1996 vintages from Benrinnes are becoming harder to find.

Did you know?

The distillery sits at the foot of the mountain Ben Rinnes, but the original 1826 site was washed away by a flood only three years later. More than one Benrinnes has stood on that slope.

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There is something quiet about a 20 year old bottled at 43 %. No shouting, no cask strength — just two decades allowed to work in peace on a pair of hogsheads in Signatory's warehouse in Pitlochry.

Please note: there is wear and rust on the cap.

The expert's description

Benrinnes 1997/2018 Signatory Vintage 20 years is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in hogsheads and bottled at 43 %.

Cask no. 9410 and 9428 were filled on 17 October 1997 and bottled on 21 February 2018. Signatory has neither chill filtered nor coloured the whisky, and the 43 % is a deliberate choice: a strength where the long maturation steps forward instead of the alcohol.

Benrinnes sits in Speyside at the foot of Ben Rinnes, but the distillery is also classified as Highland — the region covers Speyside, and bottlers choose the label themselves. The distillery's worm tubs give a heavy, almost meaty spirit, softened here by twenty years in oak.

Tasting notes

Nose

Baked apples, sweet malt and a little dried apricot. Beneath the fruit lies a hint of an old library — dusty oak and leather binding.

Palate

Soft and rounded with honey, vanilla and a light mineral tone. The fruit is ripe rather than fresh, and a fine bitterness from the oak sits in the middle.

Finish

Medium to long, dry and malty with a puff of nutmeg. It fades slowly and without hurry.

Specifications

Name: Benrinnes 1997/2018 Signatory Vintage 20 years old Single Highland Malt Whisky 43%
Distillery: Benrinnes
Bottler: Signatory Vintage
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 20 years
ABV: 43 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Hogsheads, cask no. 9410 and 9428
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 17/10/1997
Bottled: 21/02/2018
EAN no.: 5021944095391

Flavour profile

Soft · Malty · Ripe fruit · Honey · Dry

Did you know?

Signatory almost never releases two casks filled on the same day as separate bottlings — here no. 9410 and 9428 are vatted together because the two casks had developed almost identically across twenty years.

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One cask, ten years, and one of London's oldest wine merchants as the sender. Berry Bros & Rudd have traded spirits from the same address on St James's Street since 1698, and their whisky range shows the hand of people who have had plenty of time to learn how to taste.

The expert's description

Benrinnes 2006/2017 Berry Bros 10 years is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in a single cask and bottled at 46 %.

Cask no. 309927 was filled in 2006 and emptied in 2017 for Berry's Own Selection. The whisky is neither chill filtered nor coloured, and 46 % was chosen because that strength keeps the texture intact without drowning the spirit.

Ten years is long enough for the heavy Benrinnes distillate to settle its fruit and vanilla, but not so long that the oak takes over. The distillery's own character stands at the front here — which is precisely the point of a single cask.

Tasting notes

Nose

Fresh pear, lemon peel and vanilla custard. Underneath sits a lightly waxy note and a hint of freshly cut grain.

Palate

Oily and malty with yellow apples, honeydew melon and a sprinkle of white pepper. The 46 % gives a fine mouthfeel without burning.

Finish

Medium long, clean and lightly spiced with malt biscuit and a touch of citrus oil.

Specifications

Name: Benrinnes 2006/2017 Berry Bros 10 years old Single Cask Speyside Malt Whisky 70 cl 46%
Distillery: Benrinnes
Bottler: Berry Bros & Rudd
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 10 years
ABV: 46 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Single Cask, cask no. 309927
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2006
Bottled: 2017
Edition: Berry's Own Selection

Flavour profile

Fruity · Fresh · Malty · Vanilla · Clean

Did you know?

Berry Bros & Rudd still trade from their original shop on St James's Street in London, where the floor visibly slopes. For centuries the firm weighed its customers on a coffee scale — Lord Byron is in the books.

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Nine years on first fill sherry casks is not a long time — but it is enough when the wood is this active. There is a youthful energy here that older bottlings rarely have.

The expert's description

Benrinnes 2007/2016 James Eadie 9 years is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in first fill Sherry Butts and bottled at 46 %.

The release is a small batch from two first fill sherry casks, distilled in 2007 and emptied in 2016. It produced 1,308 bottles, and the whisky is neither chill filtered nor coloured.

James Eadie is a name with roots back to 1854, when the brewer James Eadie began blending whisky in Burton upon Trent. The brand was revived by his great-great-grandson in 2015 and today bottles single cask and small batch releases with unusual transparency about cask type and origin.

Tasting notes

Nose

Crisp and fruity with yellow apple, mango and cream toffee. The sherry shows as dried fig rather than dark sweetness.

Palate

Sweetness from the first sip, quickly followed by malt, vanilla and white pepper. Apricot and a hint of cinnamon give it breadth, and the 46 % holds it all together.

Finish

Medium long with caramel, dried fruit and a gently spiced warmth.

Specifications

Name: Benrinnes 2007/2016 James Eadie 9 years old Single Speyside Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 46%
Distillery: Benrinnes
Bottler: James Eadie
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 9 years
ABV: 46 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: First fill Sherry Butts
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2007
Bottled: 2016
Number of bottles: 1308
Edition: Small Batch
EAN no.: 5060485430018

Flavour profile

Fruity · Sherry matured · Soft · Spicy · Young

Did you know?

James Eadie bottles carry a small red seal with a triangle — a direct nod to the Bass brewery trademark, which Eadie used because his business also dealt in beer.

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Two bourbon barrels, twelve years and no added colour. Signatory have a habit of staying out of the way and letting the cask do the work — and here the result is a Benrinnes showing its brighter side.

The expert's description

Benrinnes 2008/2021 Signatory Vintage 12 years is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in Bourbon Barrels and bottled at 43 %.

Cask no. 800334 and 800335 were filled on 18 September 2008 and bottled on 3 August 2021. The whisky carries its natural colour, and the 43 % keeps it easy to approach without blunting the oak.

Benrinnes normally goes almost entirely into blends for Diageo, and official bottlings are rare. Independent houses such as Signatory therefore provide the access to the distillery's own voice — here in a version where the bourbon cask pulls the whisky towards vanilla and light fruit rather than heavy sherry.

Tasting notes

Nose

Vanilla, coconut and fresh apples. A lightly grainy sweetness sits under the fruit, reminiscent of porridge oats with syrup.

Palate

Soft and round with vanilla custard, pear and a touch of nutmeg. The oak reads as a dry frame rather than as spice.

Finish

Medium, dry and malty with vanilla slowly fading away.

Specifications

Name: Benrinnes 2008/2021 Signatory Vintage 12 years old Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 43%
Distillery: Benrinnes
Bottler: Signatory Vintage
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 43 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon Barrels, cask no. 800334 and 800335
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 18/09/2008
Bottled: 03/08/2021

Flavour profile

Soft · Vanilla · Fruity · Lightly spiced · Bourbon matured

Did you know?

Signatory's warehouse in Pitlochry sits right next to Edradour Distillery — one of Scotland's smallest distilleries, which Signatory bought in 2002 and still runs by hand.

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Same distillation day as its sister release, but half a year longer in wood and a different pair of bourbon barrels. Small differences that end up giving two whiskies you could tell apart blindfolded.

The expert's description

Benrinnes 2008/2022 Signatory Vintage 13 years is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in Bourbon Barrels and bottled at 43 %.

Cask no. 800308 and 800309 were filled on 18 September 2008 and emptied on 7 February 2022. The whisky carries its natural colour and is bottled at 43 %, the strength Signatory use for their more approachable range.

Benrinnes sits in Speyside, but Signatory chose the Highland designation for this label — both are legal, because Speyside lies geographically within the Highland region. Under the label is the same heavy, worm tub cooled spirit the distillery has produced since its rebuild in the 1950s.

Tasting notes

Nose

Toasted grain, caramel and ripe pears. A faintly salted note in the background makes the nose less sweet than the colour suggests.

Palate

Malty and dry with vanilla, walnut and baked apple. The oak is more evident than in the 12 year old, and there is more bite in the middle.

Finish

Long and dry with toasted malt, a hint of dark chocolate and a nutty aftertaste.

Specifications

Name: Benrinnes 2008/2022 Signatory Vintage 13 years old Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 43%
Distillery: Benrinnes
Bottler: Signatory Vintage
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 13 years
ABV: 43 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon Barrels, cask no. 800308 and 800309
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 18/09/2008
Bottled: 07/02/2022
EAN no.: 5021944116799

Flavour profile

Dry · Malty · Nutty · Vanilla · Bourbon matured

Did you know?

From 1974 to 2007 Benrinnes used a partial triple distillation, splitting the spirit and running it through three separate stills. Today distillation is conventional and twofold — but the worm tubs were kept.

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Italians have a different patience with whisky. Valinch & Mallet tend to leave the casks a couple of years longer than the British would — and The Young Masters Edition is exactly the range where they show what that extra time does.

The expert's description

Benrinnes 2008/2022 Valinch & Mallet 14 years is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in a bourbon cask and bottled at 52.1 % cask strength.

Cask no. 304405 was filled in 2008 and emptied in 2022 as a single cask in The Young Masters Edition. The cask yielded 323 bottles, and the whisky is neither chill filtered nor coloured.

Valinch & Mallet was founded in Italy and quickly worked its way into the group of bottlers people pay attention to — the house was named Scotland's best independent bottler in 2022. Their selection favours casks with clear distillery character over casks that are merely dark.

Tasting notes

Nose

Wax, light honey and peeled apple. A cool mineral streak runs beneath the fruit, with a touch of coconut from the bourbon wood.

Palate

Powerful and oily with barley, vanilla and lemon meringue. The 52.1 % pushes, but the weight of the spirit carries the alcohol, and the texture stays rich throughout.

Finish

Long and warm with pepper, toasted barley and a dry oak edge.

Specifications

Name: Benrinnes 2008/2022 Valinch & Mallet 14 years old Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 52.1%
Distillery: Benrinnes
Bottler: Valinch & Mallet
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 14 years
ABV: 52.1 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon cask, cask no. 304405
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2008
Bottled: 2022
Number of bottles: 323
Edition: The Young Masters Edition
EAN no.: 5060637450840

Flavour profile

Cask strength · Waxy · Fruity · Spicy · Clean

Investment potential

Medium: A single cask at full strength with only 323 bottles from a distillery that barely exists as an official release. Valinch & Mallet have drawn increasing attention since the 2022 award, and the house's older ranges are hard to track down.

Did you know?

The name Valinch comes from the copper tube, called a valinch, used to draw samples from a cask. Without that tool no bottler could taste their way to the right moment.

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Three years in a first fill Pedro Ximénez cask is not a finish, it is a rebuild. Fabio Rossi let the cask work until the whisky had ended up somewhere entirely different from where it started — dark, mature and almost wine-like in its sweetness.

The expert's description

Benrinnes 2009/2023 Wilson & Morgan 14 years is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in a refill hogshead, finished in a Pedro Ximénez cask and bottled at 57 %.

Cask no. 306993 was filled in 2009, first rested in a refill hogshead and then spent 36 months in a first fill Pedro Ximénez cask before being emptied in 2023. It produced 267 bottles in the Barrel Selection range.

Wilson & Morgan was founded in 1992 by Fabio Rossi in Treviso, and the Rossi family has traded in spirits in the Veneto since the 1920s. The house's signature is long secondary maturation in active casks — an Italian approach where whisky is handled with the same logic as wine.

Tasting notes

Nose

Very organic and almost farmyard at first, with overripe plums, fig and raisin on top. A clear wine streak runs across the whole thing.

Palate

Rich and dark with Pedro Ximénez up front: dates, dark syrup and pumpernickel. The meaty core of the spirit pushes back against the sweetness, and the 57 % gives the whisky a warm, spiced middle.

Finish

Very long and sweet with raisin, dark chocolate and a lightly bitter oak note at the end.

Specifications

Name: Benrinnes 2009/2023 Wilson & Morgan 14 years old Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 57%
Distillery: Benrinnes
Bottler: Wilson & Morgan
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 14 years
ABV: 57 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Refill hogshead, finished for 36 months in a 1st fill Pedro Ximénez cask, cask no. 306993
Distilled: 2009
Bottled: 2023
Number of bottles: 267
Edition: Barrel Selection
EAN no.: 8057760350953

Flavour profile

Sherry matured · Rich · Sweet · Cask strength · Ripe fruit

Did you know?

Pedro Ximénez grapes are dried in the sun before pressing, which is why PX casks deliver such concentrated sweetness. A first fill PX cask can turn a whisky almost black in under three years.

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An Oloroso Sherry Butt is a large cask — 500 litres of dry, nutty oak in no particular hurry. Twelve years in one of those, and the heavy Benrinnes spirit gets exactly the frame it deserves.

The expert's description

Benrinnes 2010/2023 Signatory Vintage 12 years is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in a first fill Oloroso Sherry Butt and bottled at 46 %.

The cask was filled in September 2010 and emptied in 2023, yielding 234 bottles. The whisky is neither chill filtered nor coloured, and the 46 % was chosen so the sherry character stands clear without alcohol dominance.

Signatory buy casks from distilleries across Scotland and bottle under their own name. A first fill Oloroso butt is among the most expensive and most sought after casks in the trade, and it is rarely spent on a 12 year old — here it was.

Tasting notes

Nose

Dried figs, walnut and orange peel. There is a dry, almost dusty sherry character typical of Oloroso rather than the sweeter sherry styles.

Palate

Full bodied with raisin, dark rye bread and bitter orange. Nuts step forward in the middle, and a spiced draught of clove runs through it.

Finish

Long and dry with walnut shell, dark chocolate and a pleasant bitterness.

Specifications

Name: Benrinnes 2010/2023 Signatory Vintage 12 years old Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 46%
Distillery: Benrinnes
Bottler: Signatory Vintage
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 46 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: First fill Oloroso Sherry Butt
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 09/2010
Bottled: 2023
Number of bottles: 234
EAN no.: 5021944121670

Flavour profile

Sherry matured · Nutty · Dry · Spicy · Full bodied

Did you know?

A butt holds around 500 litres — twice as much as a hogshead. The larger the cask, the less surface area per litre of whisky, which is why a butt works more slowly and more subtly than small wood.

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Adelphi's nosing panel has Charles MacLean at the head of the table, and they say no to far more casks than they say yes to. Cask no. 305256 got through — and you can taste why in the nose alone.

The expert's description

Benrinnes 2011/2022 Adelphi Selection 11 years is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky bottled as a single cask at 56.2 % full cask strength.

Cask no. 305256 was filled in 2011 and emptied in 2022, yielding 341 bottles. The whisky is neither chill filtered nor coloured, and Adelphi bottle, as always, without reduction.

Adelphi was revived as an independent bottler in 1993 and today owns Ardnamurchan Distillery on the west Highland peninsula of the same name. Casks are selected by a nosing panel chaired by whisky writer Charles MacLean, and only a fraction of the casks tasted reach the bottle.

Tasting notes

Nose

Powerful and malty with baked apple, cinnamon sugar and a touch of melted butter. The alcohol takes up space at first but settles quickly.

Palate

Intense and oily. Barley, honey and peppery spice gather around a core of yellow fruit. Water loosens it up and draws out vanilla.

Finish

Long and warm with toasted grain, nutmeg and a dry oak conclusion.

Specifications

Name: Benrinnes 2011/2022 Adelphi Selection 11 years old Single Speyside Malt Scotch Whisky 56.2%
Distillery: Benrinnes
Bottler: Adelphi Selection
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 11 years
ABV: 56.2 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Single Cask, cask no. 305256
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2011
Bottled: 2022
Number of bottles: 341
EAN no.: 5060383652550

Flavour profile

Cask strength · Malty · Spicy · Fruity · Intense

Did you know?

Adelphi originally began as a distillery in Glasgow in 1826 and closed in 1902. The name lay dormant for nearly a century before the great-grandson of the last owner revived it as a bottling house.

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Nine cask numbers on one label. Wilson & Morgan gathered a small handful of casks from the same vintage and gave them a shared finish in Pedro Ximénez — an Italian exercise in making single casks play together.

The expert's description

Benrinnes 2011/2022 Wilson & Morgan 11 years is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky finished in Pedro Ximénez casks and bottled at 46 %.

Cask no. 301607, 301611, 301614 and 301617 to 301623 were filled in 2011 and emptied in 2022 for the Barrel Selection range. The whisky is neither chill filtered nor coloured.

Where the house's 14 year old spent 36 months alone in one PX cask, this one is built more broadly: several casks vatted together and a shorter, more restrained sherry finish. The result is easier to approach while still carrying Rossi's handwriting.

Tasting notes

Nose

Raisin, toasted almond and a touch of orange marmalade. Fresh barley and a lightly sweet grain note sit under the sherry.

Palate

Soft and round with dates, brown sugar and cinnamon. The 46 % keeps it light, and the sherry lies as a layer on top of the spirit rather than swallowing it.

Finish

Medium long with dried fruit, a hint of cocoa and a dry spiced close.

Specifications

Name: Benrinnes 2011/2022 Wilson & Morgan 11 years old Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 46%
Distillery: Benrinnes
Bottler: Wilson & Morgan
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 11 years
ABV: 46 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Finished in Pedro Ximénez casks, cask no. 301607/11/14/17-23
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2011
Bottled: 2022
Edition: Barrel Selection
EAN no.: 8033749408945

Flavour profile

Sherry matured · Soft · Fruity · Spicy · Round

Did you know?

Since 1992 Wilson & Morgan have kept one firm rule: no cask is bottled unless Fabio Rossi has tasted it himself in Scotland. The family spirits business in Treviso goes back to the 1920s.

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Same June day in 2012, same distillery, same bottler — but an entirely ordinary bourbon hogshead. Here you get Benrinnes without cask tricks: clean spirit, ten years and full strength.

The expert's description

Benrinnes 2012/2023 Signatory Vintage 10 years is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in a bourbon hogshead and bottled at 58.9 % cask strength.

Cask no. 310545 was filled on 25 June 2012 and emptied on 12 January 2023. The cask yielded 275 bottles, and the whisky is neither chill filtered nor coloured.

A hogshead of roughly 250 litres is built from the staves of American bourbon casks, reassembled in a slightly larger format. It strikes a balance between cask influence and spirit character that suits a heavy distillate like Benrinnes' well.

Tasting notes

Nose

Fresh and grainy with green apples, lemon peel and a hint of newly cut hay. The vanilla sits discreetly beneath the fruit.

Palate

Powerful and clean. Barley, honey and pear meet a peppery warmth from the alcohol. There is a rich, almost waxy texture that holds on to the flavour.

Finish

Long, dry and grainy with white pepper and a puff of citrus.

Specifications

Name: Benrinnes 2012/2023 Signatory Vintage 10 years old Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 58.9%
Distillery: Benrinnes
Bottler: Signatory Vintage
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 10 years
ABV: 58.9 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon Hogshead, cask no. 310545
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 25/06/2012
Bottled: 12/01/2023
Number of bottles: 275
EAN no.: 5021944121564

Flavour profile

Cask strength · Fresh · Grainy · Fruity · Clean

Did you know?

The word hogshead has nothing to do with pigs. It comes from the old English hogges hede, a medieval measure for barrels — and a hogshead still holds around 250 litres.

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Dechar and rechar is a violent treatment: the charred layer is scraped away and the wood is burned again. The cask gets a new life, and the whisky gets a toasted sweetness you will not find in ordinary bourbon wood.

The expert's description

Benrinnes 2012/2023 Signatory Vintage 10 years Dechar Rechar is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in a dechar/rechar bourbon hogshead and bottled at 58 % cask strength.

Cask no. 310542 was filled on 25 June 2012 and emptied on 1 March 2023, yielding 270 bottles. The whisky is neither chill filtered nor coloured.

The treatment removes the burnt inner layer of the cask, exposing fresh wood which is then charred anew. That gives a far more active surface than an ordinary refill cask, and in ten years the whisky draws vanilla, toasted sugar and spiced oak from the wood.

Tasting notes

Nose

Warm bourbon notes with vanilla, toasted oak and caramelised sugar. Beneath the sweetness sit baked apples, citrus oil and a hint of malt biscuit.

Palate

Intense, full and oily. Vanilla pod, burnt sugar and spiced oak meet the heavy core of the spirit. The 58 % gives structure, and a few drops of water open a fresh fruit centre.

Finish

Long and warm with toasted wood, malt and a subtle spiced edge that lingers.

Specifications

Name: Benrinnes 2012/2023 Signatory Vintage 10 years old Dechar Rechar Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky 58%
Distillery: Benrinnes
Bottler: Signatory Vintage
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 10 years
ABV: 58 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Dechar/rechar Bourbon Hogshead, cask no. 310542
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 25/06/2012
Bottled: 01/03/2023
Number of bottles: 270

Flavour profile

Cask strength · Toasted · Sweet oak · Vanilla · Intense

Did you know?

Signatory number their casks sequentially, and cask 310542 and 310545 were both filled with Benrinnes on the same day in June 2012. They were bottled six weeks apart — and taste noticeably different.

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Tawny port is an old and nutty affair — years in wood, where the fruit has dried down to fig and caramel. Let a heavy Speyside mature in one of those casks and something happens that sherry cannot deliver.

The expert's description

Benrinnes 2013/2023 Lady of the Glen 10 years is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in a first fill Tawny Port cask and bottled at 57.8 % cask strength.

Cask no. 300746 was filled on 15 January 2013 and emptied on 14 April 2023. The release yielded 282 bottles and is neither chill filtered nor coloured.

Lady of the Glen was founded in 2012 by Gregor Hannah and is run from Fife. The house bottles single casks at cask strength only and seeks out casks from closed distilleries or casks with an unusual expression — one such as this.

Tasting notes

Nose

Red berries, dried fig and a touch of rose petal. The port gives a sweet, almost perfumed nose sitting on top of the dryness of the malt.

Palate

Full bodied and sweet with cherry, walnut and dark caramel. The 57.8 % brings warmth, and a clear tannin edge from the port cask runs through the middle.

Finish

Long with dried fruit, cocoa and a lightly bitter nuttiness.

Specifications

Name: Benrinnes 2013/2023 Lady of the Glen 10 years old Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 57.8%
Distillery: Benrinnes
Bottler: Lady of the Glen
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 10 years
ABV: 57.8 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: First fill Tawny Port cask, cask no. 300746
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 15/01/2013
Bottled: 14/04/2023
Number of bottles: 282
Edition: Limited Edition

Flavour profile

Port matured · Sweet · Berries · Nutty · Cask strength

Did you know?

Tawny port matures in wood until the colour shifts from red to golden brown — hence the name. A 20 year old tawny can have rested so long that the cask, once filled with whisky, is already deeply marked by dried fruit.

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Eleven years in a first fill ex-bourbon barrel is the simplest recipe there is. No finish, no detours — just an active cask and a spirit big enough to carry it.

The expert's description

Benrinnes 2013/2025 Lady of the Glen 11 years is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in a first fill ex-bourbon barrel and bottled at 56.4 % cask strength.

Cask no. 311808 was filled in 2013 and emptied in 2025, yielding 214 bottles. The whisky is neither chill filtered nor coloured.

Where the house's 10 year old from 2013 was given a spell in Tawny Port, this one is kept purely in bourbon wood. That makes it a rare and honest portrait of what the Benrinnes spirit looks like when nothing is trying to dress it up.

Tasting notes

Nose

Vanilla, coconut and light honey. Behind the sweetness sit ripe pears and a hint of a warm bakery.

Palate

Full and creamy with vanilla pod, banana and spiced oak. The 56.4 % gives a firm but rounded bite, and the texture is clearly oily.

Finish

Long and warm with honey, oak and a sprinkle of white pepper.

Specifications

Name: Benrinnes 2013/2025 Lady of the Glen 11 years old Single Speyside Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 56.4%
Distillery: Benrinnes
Bottler: Lady of the Glen
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 11 years
ABV: 56.4 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: First fill ex-bourbon barrel, cask no. 311808
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2013
Bottled: 2025
Number of bottles: 214

Flavour profile

Cask strength · Vanilla · Creamy · Fruity · Bourbon matured

Did you know?

Lady of the Glen bottle every single cask by hand at their warehouse in Fife. That is also why outturns rarely pass 300 bottles — there is a physical limit to what a small team can manage.

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Diageo rarely let Benrinnes stand in the spotlight. The distillery is a workhorse whose spirit normally vanishes into large blends. Once in a while it is allowed to step forward alone — and then something like Grand Crescendo appears.

The expert's description

Benrinnes Special Release 2024 Grand Crescendo 21 years is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in refill casks and wine casks and bottled at 55.4 % cask strength.

The whisky first rested for eight years in refill casks and then spent thirteen years in a second maturation in American and European oak wine casks and rejuvenated casks with freshly charred ends. That is an unusually long second phase, and it explains the depth of the whisky.

Grand Crescendo is one of eight bottlings in Diageo's Special Releases 2024. Each year the range gathers single malts from the group's distilleries in unconventional cask combinations, released in limited numbers and in that one year only.

Tasting notes

Nose

Ripe dark fruit, stewed pear and caramelised apple. Beneath the fruit sit sweet spices, vanilla and a hint of cinnamon and dried fig.

Palate

Powerful and complex with dark chocolate, candied citrus and a lightly smoky edge from the freshly charred cask ends. The 55.4 % brings intensity, but the balance holds.

Finish

Long and elegant with spice, sweetness and a dry oak edge that lingers.

Specifications

Name: Benrinnes Special Release 2024 Grand Crescendo 21 years old Single Malt Scotch Whisky 55.4%
Distillery: Benrinnes
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 21 years
ABV: 55.4 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Refill casks followed by American and European wine casks and rejuvenated casks with charred ends
Bottled: 2024
Edition: Special Release 2024
EAN no.: 5000281076362

Flavour profile

Cask strength · Ripe fruit · Spicy · Dark chocolate · Wine cask

Investment potential

High: Special Releases appear in a single year and never return. A 21 year old Benrinnes from Diageo is unusual in itself, since the distillery's spirit normally goes into blends. The range has historically been among the most sought after by collectors.

Did you know?

Benrinnes sits 200 metres above sea level on the slope of Ben Rinnes, and the distillery still draws its water from springs on the same mountain. The original 1826 site was washed away by a flood in 1829.

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Benromach make whisky the way Speyside tasted before everything turned light and floral. A little peat smoke, plenty of sherry and a team of very few people doing it all by hand in a small building outside Forres.

The expert's description

Benromach 10 years is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in first fill bourbon and sherry casks and bottled at 43 %.

The whisky matures in around eighty percent first fill bourbon casks and twenty percent first fill sherry casks, then spends a year in Oloroso Sherry casks where the two parts marry. It is neither chill filtered nor coloured.

The distillery was founded in 1898, closed in 1983 and stood silent for fifteen years until Gordon & MacPhail bought it and reopened in 1998. The stated aim was to recreate the Speyside style that existed before the 1960s — lightly peated malt, less steel, more handwork.

Tasting notes

Nose

Rich sherry, nuts and old oak with charred casks and dark chocolate in the background. The peat smoke runs through it all as a thin thread.

Palate

Rounded malt, ripe red berries and gentle peat smoke. There is clear sweetness from the sherry, held in check by a dry, smoky edge.

Finish

Medium long with lightly burnt caramel, ash and a warm spiced close.

Specifications

Name: Benromach 10 years old Single Speyside Malt Whisky 70 cl 43%
Distillery: Benromach
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 10 years
ABV: 43 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: First fill bourbon casks and first fill sherry casks, followed by one year in Oloroso Sherry casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
EAN no.: 5020613023680

Flavour profile

Lightly peated · Sherry matured · Malty · Berries · Rounded

Did you know?

Benromach runs with a team of fewer than a handful of people and still uses wooden washbacks. The distillery was formally reopened by the then Prince of Wales in October 1998.

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Fifteen years exclusively in first fill casks is an expensive decision. Benromach took it anyway, and the whisky carries the result: dark fruit, black pepper and a thread of smoke that never quite lets go.

The expert's description

Benromach 15 years is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured exclusively in first fill sherry and bourbon casks and bottled at 43 %.

The whisky is neither chill filtered nor coloured. Using first fill casks for the full fifteen years is unusual — most distilleries mix in refill wood to keep the oak from taking over.

Benromach reopened in 1998 after fifteen silent years, so the 15 year old is among the first releases distilled entirely under Gordon & MacPhail's stewardship. It shows the house style at full length.

Tasting notes

Nose

Forest fruits, apple and dark chocolate with cracked black pepper on top. The sherry is rich, and a puff of smoke drifts across the whole thing.

Palate

Creamy and nutty with almond, roasted malt and orange peel. Sherry sweetness meets a dry spiced edge, and a hint of peat smoke still sits in the middle.

Finish

Balanced and warming with dried fruit, oak and a touch of smoke at the end.

Specifications

Name: Benromach 15 years old Single Speyside Malt Whisky 70 cl 43%
Distillery: Benromach
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 15 years
ABV: 43 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: First fill sherry casks and first fill bourbon casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
EAN no.: 5020613051485

Flavour profile

Sherry matured · Lightly peated · Spicy · Creamy · Dark fruit

Did you know?

Benromach still uses a wooden mash tun and larch washbacks — something most distilleries swapped for stainless steel decades ago, because wood is harder to keep clean.

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