Review by: Raygun

Seen Infrequent Flyers around for a while, but don’t think I’ve tried one before. This independent bottler was started by Alastair Walker, son of the famed Billy Walker. From my observation he seems to subscribe to the Murray McDavid school of weird finishes, but played this one relatively straight: a refill hogshead. Reviewed from a sample. Rested about 15 minutes.s.

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Distillery: Benrinnes  

Bottler: Infrequent Flyers (Alastair Walker Whisky Company)  

Region/style: Speyside single malt Scotch

ABV: 50%. Doubt it’s cask strength even though the Whiskybase entry says it is.  

Age: 14 years. Distilled on January 15, 2007 and bottled in March 2021. Should be partial triple distillation then. 

Cask type: Refill hogshead #300322, 120 bottles. Oddly low; wonder if this was a split cask. Label simply says hogshead, but from color and smell it seems to have been a sherry hogshead.

Color: 1.5 auburn. Natural color. Non-chill-filtered.

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Nose: Has to be a sherry hogshead. Pretty strong for a refill cask. Dates, cranberry sauce, walnuts, fruit leather, and Benrinnes meatiness. Extremely promising.             

Palate: Powerful. Hard to believe it’s a refill cask. Hoisin sauce, dates, raspberry jam, chocolate, and almonds. Demiglace. A little meaty and fairly sweet, with hints of Moroccan spice. Intense, but it’s not all cask. Has the weight of partial triple distillation.    

Finish: The spice flavors intensify. Dates, dried cherries, and currants, like a Moroccan tagine. Chocolate and almonds. Something floral as well. Nice progression.  

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Conclusion: I’m a fan. A little sweeter than I’d like and could use more meatiness, if I’m going to be picky. But I can’t complain much. A great example of how Benrinnes and sherry are a perfect match. It’s got the weight to stand up to a strong cask, and sherry complements the meaty character of the distillate. I still don’t know how the distillation change at Benrinnes has affected the finished product, but I do love the old stuff. 

Buy a bottle? I’ll keep an eye out; price shouldn’t be too crazy.

Score: 86

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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)