Another Benrinnes from Master of Malt, which made me curious, since the last one was such a tremendous dram and sold out immediately. I still regret missing out on that one by thinking “I’ll go to bed now and order in the morning”.

While usually being a blender’s whisky, Benrinnes does have some stunning casks out there as Single Malt apparently. Although I have tasted some releases that prove the point from the blender’s point of view.

Sniff:
Nice fruity citrussy sherry scents at once. Reminds me of the Single Cask MoM release in a very good way. Sweet valencia oranges with quite some heavier undertones of wood and leather.

Sip:
The flavour is more gentle and lighter than I expected. There is some heat from the alcohol but it’s countered by light fruit and a rather gentle palate. I feel it’s a bit less intense than the 14 year old single cask.

Swallow:
The finish is on par with the 14yo however. Lots of fresh and crisp fruit. Sweet citrus and I even think I pick up some mint.

The only drawback this whisky has is that I compare it to that 14yo that was release a few weeks ago. Apart from that, this is a very stunning whisky. An added benefit is that it goes for only € 55 or so. I’m still in doubt whether I made the right choice in ordering the BenRiach. Both are stunning!

With all those great releases I think the world should applaud Master of Malt for being like the Asterix town in Normandy. Boldly resisting the urge to cash in on every drop by lavish packaging and promoting ‘rare’ releases.

Benrinnes, That Boutique-y Whisky Company, 48.9% ABV, available at € 54.31 / £ 43.95 from my friends at Master of Malt.

Sample supplied by Master of Malt for reviewing. So thanks!