Benrinnes 2011/2022 - over 10 yo - Artist #12

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 58.1% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

A finish in a First Fill Sherry Butt shapes this Benrinnes from the twelfth Artist collection. Distilled in 2011, the single malt was bottled in 2022 after more than ten years of maturation. The finish took place in cask number 307205, and the release comprises 660 bottles. Bottled at 58.1%, the whisky retains its natural cask strength. It was neither chill-filtered nor coloured.

Malty notes run through both the aroma and flavour, complementing the pronounced sherry influence.

Artist #12 brings together selected single malts and works by Gesine Arps. This Benrinnes label features her work Lettera d’amore. The bottle contains 0.7 litres and comes in black gift packaging.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: On the nose, apricots mingle with beeswax and honey. Floral aromas, toffee, ginger and roasted walnuts round out the rich bouquet.
• Palate: The whisky feels oily on the palate. Apricot and chocolate open the tasting, with mushroom notes and a suggestion of balsamic vinegar. Mocha, gingerbread and salted caramel then emerge, accompanied by melon, walnuts and tropical fruit.
• Finish: The long, lively finish reveals hints of cough sweets, pine resin, candied apricot and ginger.

Distillery/Bottler:

Benrinnes stands on the lower slopes of the mountain of the same name in Speyside. The first distillery was established in 1826 but destroyed by flooding in 1829; it was subsequently rebuilt at a different site. Worm tubs are a characteristic feature of the distillery: these traditional condensers cool alcohol vapour inside coiled pipes. Benrinnes operates them with very cold water, contributing to the heavy, meaty style of its spirit. Much of its production is used in blended whiskies.

For the Artist series, introduced in 2011, La Maison du Whisky selects individual casks and arranges for the whiskies to be bottled at cask strength. Distillery, cask type, age and alcohol strength are considered together in the selection. A different artist designs the labels for each collection. The series thus combines limited single-cask whiskies with changing artistic perspectives.

Facts: