Benrinnes 12 Year Old - 82 Chapters to Newcastle (Creatures of Cask Strength)
Rich, Dried Fruits2024-01-29
Smell
When nosing, Benrinnes inevitably reminds us of strawberries and those cherry lollipops that every child has eaten. There is also a pleasant sweetness of dark fruit and an unmistakable hint of wine. Not surprising given the 12-month 1st fill port cask finish in a hogshead.
Taste
Significantly more oaky than in the nosing, this single malt at cask strength opens with a creamy flavour. A pleasant, subtle sweetness interweaves with a great fruity flavour. Again with a strong strawberry flavour, the Benrinnes impressively demonstrates what a finish in a good cask can achieve. We also find the wine flavours here again, as well as a note that does not remind us of real strawberries, but rather of those pseudo-strawberry flavours from children's sweets.
Finish
The finish of the Scotch whisky with the censored squirrel on the label is in fact the least exciting thing about the bottling and can be described in three words: Long, Spicy, Fruity.
Thoughts
Strawberries. Really good. And children's sweets. Also really good. With the Benrinnes 12 year old, 82 Chapters once again demonstrates an excellent knack for selecting casks. The alcohol is well integrated and the finish is outstanding. By the way: we "food-paired" the malt with chocolate-covered strawberries after the review tasting - highly recommended!