Review by: The Muskox

This is review 4/6 of the SMWS’s December 2023 outturn, which I tasted alongside my man rye_am_legend at the venerable Jack Rose Dining Saloon in Washington, D.C. We tried these whiskies blind, so all my notes and my score are pre-reveal. Apologies for briefer notes than usual – we tried quite a pile of whiskies that evening!

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Distillery: Benrinnes.

Bottler: Scotch Malt Whisky Society.

Region: Speyside.

ABV: 56.6%. Cask strength.

Age: 12 years. Distilled February 11th 2010. Bottled in 2023.

Cask type: Initially matured in an ex-bourbon hogshead, then finished for 3 years in an American oak PX sherry hogshead.

Price: N/A, tasting.

Color: Natural Color. Non-chill-filtered.

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Nose: More sherry, but deeper and sweeter than the previous whisky. Old leather. Juicy strawberries and dried cranberries. That dried fruit leather stuff.

Palate: Is this a lower proof than the other whiskies, or just much lighter in texture? Arrives sweet-tart, with pithy orange, berries, and caramel. Deep sherry-spice notes of leather and Angostura bitters.

Finish: Medium. Caramel, wine gums, and powdered hot chocolate mix.

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Possible SMWS bottling name: “Warm gummy worms at the back of the school bus”

Conclusion: Pretty good, I prefer this to the Auchroisk. The sherry is more rounded here, with a good juiciness to it. It’s a bit light and straightforward, but very drinkable.

We were given five options for which distillery this whisky could be – Benrinnes, Aberlour, Ben Nevis, Deanston, and Blair Athol. I didn’t think this had the maltiness, yeast, or occasional dirt of Ben Nevis. I also felt like the other distilleries were too heavy for a whisky this light, unless I was tasting the partial triple distillation of Benrinnes. I ended up guessing Aberlour.

Final Score: 78.

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Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
• 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
• 50-59: Save it for mixing.
• 0-49: Blech.