Review by: Raygun

Benrinnes is a rather under the radar distillery mostly used in Diageo blends. A Flora and Fauna release is the only OB. Until 2007 or so (it’s a little vague) it used an unusual method of partial triple distillation, along the lines of Mortlach. Produced an unusual spirit that shined especially in sherry casks. They’ve since converted to conventional double distillation. Haven’t had any of the newer expressions, but I don’t imagine the change is for the better. This is from the old regime, and one of the rare rum cask Benrinnes I’ve seen. The Blackadder Raw Cask label is famous for barely filtering at all, and hence the cask sediment is visible at the bottom of the bottle. Some extra fiber. This particular bottle was a USA exclusive for Dram Hunter, which is a label from the importer Glass Revolution. Rested about 15 minutes.

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Distillery: Benrinnes 

Bottler: Blackadder

Region/style: Speyside single malt Scotch

ABV: 54.2%

Age: 15 years. Distilled in November, 2006; bottled in October,  2022. A touch under 16 years

Cask type: Bourbon initially, then finished in a Barbados rum hogshead, #309928. 260 bottles. 

Color: 0.4 jonquil. Natural color. Non-chill-filtered.

Price: $128

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Nose: Pretty light. Lime zest, sugar cookies, 7-Up. Caramel and a hint of char. A little yeasty/bready quality.    

Palate: A nice custard flavor that didn’t really come across on the nose. Far more expressive than the nose in general. Panna cotta with lime, grapefruit, and passion fruit. Salted caramel and caramelized bananas. More tart than I expected, with balanced sweetness. Charred wood. I do get the particular texture of partial triple distillation. 

Finish: Custard again, but now comes across more as French toast, with some banana and lime. And grapefruit, like grapefruit sorbet. More passion fruit. Brown sugar and again a sprinkle of salt. Nice blend of sweet and tart again.      

Conclusion: Had no idea what to expect. Bourbon Benrinnes has been pretty meh in my experience, while sherried Benrinnes is often sublime. Never had a rum cask. I liked the tart fruit and custard flavor, with the kind of thickness that Benrinnes often has. Ends up very nice, and well suited to a summer night. Lovely stuff. One quick aside: the end of a Raw Cask bottle is just annoying. Wish they’d ditch that gimmick. I don’t want to filter my own whisky. 

Buy again? I initially thought not, but I’ve begun to reconsider after having more. It’s not a combination one sees every day, and it’s really good.

Score: 85

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Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky. (Convalmore 36)
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category. (Bruichladdich Black Art 4.1)
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram. (Ledaig 13 Amontillado)
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff. (Tomatin 18)
• 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting. (Glen Scotia 15)
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better. (Aultmore 12)
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink. (Glenmorangie 10)
• 50-59: Save it for mixing. (Old Pulteney 12)
• 0-49: Blech. (Muirhead’s Silver Seal 16)