BenRiach 18 Year Old 1995 Premium Spirits

Premium Spirits is the Belgian importer of BenRiach and has a rather special bond with the distillery as I found out during a Soirée with Billy Walker in June of this year. Especially for them, this single cask from 1995 was released. It is a Madeira hogshead at cask strength. This is my 65th BenRiach, by the way.

The nose is creamy and sweet. Loads of fruit like grapefruit, apple and sultana, but also some pencil shavings and even some cardboard (which is, in this case at least, not an off-note!). Also smells a bit like a bourbon, strangely enough. I also get some aniseed and pepper. A whiff of marzipan and a bit of tobacco round things out. After a while, the fruit evolves towards the stewed variety. Very pleasant.

The influence of the Madeira is much more pronounced on the palate. The fruit is still in a stew, like an apricots and oranges marmalade, but with some mango and chocolate in the mix. The spices are louder too. Peper, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, aniseed. A whole spice rack! Midpalate it turns somewhat dry on tannins. It does not need water, though.

The finish is long and sweet with a mild sour touch from grapefruit. The spices speak the longest.

Nice BenRiach, although just a tad to spicy for me, which subdues the fruitiness a bit.

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