A pair of ex-bourbon barrel Benrinnes from two Independent Bottlers — Kingsbury and Cadenhead.
Benrinnes 1997 Cadenhead’s Cask Strength 20 Year Old / 54.0% / ~$125
Tasted neat, then with a bit of bottled water
This Benrinnes is not a single cask, but rather a small-batch vatting of three bourbon barrels to yield just 408 bottles at 54%. Distilled in 1997 and bottled in 2017 for 20 years of age, the bottle’s tasting notes promise:
Nose: Kiwi fruits, icing sugar and brazil nuts.
Palate: slight earth and dunnage notes, dark chocolate and green apples
Finish: Cajun spice, paprika and a fruitiness with pears and more apples
Minor complaint: these square bottles are hard to get the last drop out!
- Color: old gold (0.65)
- Nose: cream custard, nail polish acetone, sliced apples; with water, some whole-grain bread and honeysuckle
- Taste: oak, tropical fruits, malty pineapple; vanilla lime sorbet
- Finish: cocoa and butterscotch; with water, cardboard and caramel
Doing three barrels into a small batch run is a great way to ensure that you have a more consistent but still unique expression of Benrinnes to sell, and this one absolutely hits the marks. This bottle did not last me long…
Rating: 86/100
Benrinnes 1996 Kingsbury 20 Year Old / 56.5%
Tasted neat, then with a bit of bottled water
A nice 20 Yr Benrinnes distilled in 1996 and laid to rest for 20 years in an ex-bourbon hogshead #11711, 225 bottles were produced. Tasting notes are “Amber, ginger, complex toffee, agave, sweet, sublime.”
- Color: deep copper (1.0)
- Nose: buttery crisp patisserie, bananas, rum, and hot-house flowers
- Taste: a little oaky, tons of tropical fruits, cream, kiwi, and mint
- Finish: medium, warming, some barbeque sauce
This is an interesting one — it’s a lot fruitier than most of the barrels of Benrinnes I’ve had, and the ABV is quite solid. It’s very fresh, and pleasant — I’d call it a summer dram!
Rating: 89/100
