Yesterday my wife asked me on GTalk whether I had ordered stuff online again. After the default reaction of ‘shit, she found out!’ I released I actually hadn’t ordered anything and this must be another surprise pack!

A single sample was included and it was Master of Malt’s own Benrinnes 14 that was there. A lovely orangy colour greeted me when I picked it up and I couldn’t wait to try it, also because I barely have any experience with Benrinnes save a couple.

Sniff:
After pouring a small glass I get lovely scents of sugared orange peels and other candied citrus fruits. That was about a meter from the glass. After putting my nose in I got more of that. A lot more. Also some toasted oak and what we call ‘Moscovian fruit’. Those little cut up bits of random candied fruit you sometimes find in cakes and Christmas cake. Also some sweet spices and some oriental like chai or something. The alcohol is rather smooth with tropical fruit juice and later also almond paste leading the way. Furniture lacquer too.

Sip:
Sharper than the nose makes you expect, but in line with the 57.8% ABV. A bit spicier too, but all in a good way. Warming and a little dry with a classic spiciness, almond paste and the rather big load of sweet citrus. There’s chocolate too and that makes me think of those orange wedges in a dark chocolate coating.

Swallow:
The finish gets more friendly quickly and really lingers on the sugared orange peels and dark chocolate, plus the almond paste. I get a touch of nutmeg too. There is a certain Indian curry style to it that I find appealing, but that’s in it’s rightful background place.

As they say on their website, this is an awesome whisky. That’s true. It’s very different from the other Benrinnes I know well but there are also some similarities in the style. Master of Malt states this is a heavily sherried whisky. Not so sure about that, but that’s mostly because with heavily sherried I think of ‘the other Benrinnes‘, and that was in an entirely different category.

For a change in recent reviews, this one is actually still available, and affordable!

Benrinnes 14, Master of Malt, sherry cask, 14yo, 57.8%, 1998-2012, available at Master of Malt for € 69.90

Sample provided for reviewing by Master of Malt.