53,6°
Distillery : The BenRiach - Speyside
Virgin Oak Hogshead
Original Bottling
Limited Edition
Single Cask
Bottled in 2022
Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength
Still part of the Collection New Vibrations, this 28-year-old virgin cask has been selected by La Maison du Whisky for an exclusive sale in France. 274 bottles were offered for sale. Virgin casks are fairly rare in the whisky world, especially at this age, so this bottling piqued my curiosity. The whisky is described as peaty, with an unspecified ppm level, which is difficult to assess.
Let's Taste It :
The nose is full-bodied and very fruity, with citrus, lemon, pineapple, grapefruit, and white fruits, mirabelles, plums, bananas, followed by earthy and smoky hints, dark chocolate and soot, delicate woodiness, forest touches, lichen and vegetal moss, damp bark. Quite malty on the palate, with hints of tobacco, vanilla, lemon. Some meatiness, but also herbaceous. Deep spices, ginger, nutmeg. Long, unctuous finish, with notes of honey and molasses. Melting milk chocolate, cinnamon, paprika, earth and tobacco.
In Short,
I'm not a big fan of virgin casks, which generally give a bitterness that's not at all to my taste, but this is not the case here. On the contrary, it's fruity and delicate, and the influence of the wood is very discreet, making way for a superb, refined, racy distillate. It's extremely well crafted. The peat is not particularly remarkable. I'd recommend buying it if it weren't so expensive.
Score : 89
To Be Listened While Sipping :
Gregg Molnar - Recovery Blues
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