Review #79: Benrinnes 23yr 1988/2012, 43%, Mackillop's Choice, Cask #2836

pushing my luck

I'm on a hot streak with whiskies that have surprised on the upside. so it's time to take a bigger chance.

Benrinnes is -- or was -- a weird distillery. They still use worm tubs, I think; they used to (until recently) use 2.5x distilling, and they try to minimize copper contact to let the distillate have a 'meaty' character. I keep looking for a cask in which it all comes together nicely, but the result is usually a little strange. But maybe this time ...

nose: light and chalky at first, and then bunches of spicy green fruit take over: cider apples and Grüner Veltliner, or something like that. I could almost imagine that this was made from apples and grapes, but some other notes come in: pralines and vanilla custard, a hay bale and a rose petal. It becomes sweeter, almost honeyed, over time. All in all, unexpected but not weird.

palate: ugh, it's watered down to 43%. there's a bit of oily sweetness, and some apple custard comes through for a second, but then it's washed away. Some oak bites, and nothing bites back. The finish finishes.

The nose had me sold completely, but it turns out I did push my luck a little too far. The palate really doesn't hold up its end, and whisky isn't just for smelling.

score: 83