If you had the chance to travel around the Speyside, something that won’t pass unnoticed is the Benrinnes, the mountain which overlooks Dufftown closely; the same name is used by a relatively small (2.5 million liters per year) distillery, owned by Diageo. The Roman Whisky festival “Spirit of Scotland” decided this year to collaborate with Nadi Fiori (High Spirits) for their first official bottling and they went for a 1998 Benrinnes, 14yo reduced at 50% abv. Let’s try it! The color is light amber…
One side note: the almighty Pino Perrone specified how the cask selection was his, while High Spirits acted “only” ad a bottler. Let’s give Pino his merits!
N: it opens up on a sulphuric note. Second side note from Pino: it’s a first-fill fino sherry. Some hints of gunpowder, matches (maybe something reminding us of truffle?). We also found something mineral (let’s say brine), metallic. Without any doubt the nose has personality, even the fruity side has a certain intensity: very ripe fruit (or jam?), apricot, a vague trace of red fruits… Pannacotta? Cane Sugar? For sure honey and some citrusy suggestion. A light note of herbal liqueur. With time the sulfur-y notes get rounder.
P: the starring is a creamy and malty sweetness, also here cohabitating with a more complex profile, made of mineral hints, again metal and gunpowder. More red fruits, or simply more fruit, overripe orange. Creamy (crème caramel) and a bit of apricot jam. Sugar cane.
F: nicely long, still with a metallic/mineral feeling (it reminds of a light smokiness) which overpowers the nice malty sweetness.
A whisky in crescendo: a complex but pleasurable nose that hasn’t really convinced us in full, a rounder and more balanced palate with a very long and balance finish. Extremely different from the Benrinnes by Samaroli we tasted some time ago, this first Spirit of Scotland bottling gest 83/100. Last side note: Pino again suggested that no noticeable sulfuric notes are present when poured from the bottle. We strongly recommend all of you to remember that many of our tastings are made from samples, where the oxygenation is less and at times some variations are noticeable. We always suggest to always follow your feelings, with those you can’t go wrong!
Recommended soundtrack: Chingon – Malaguena Salerosa, from Kill Bill OST.
