Benriach 11 YO Single Cask #26120 (bourbon)
Nozinan Mini and Sample Series - 54
4 188
Review by @Nozinan
- Nose~
- Taste~
- Finish~
- Balance~
- Overall88
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On May 4, @cricklewood visited me while I was in Ottawa and we had a small but epic tasting. We prepared sample bottles for convenience and ended up swapping what was left of the samples. This was one of the bottles.
I don’t have much information other than the sticker on the sample. This was bourbon cask #26120, distilled in 2001 and matured for 11 years, bottled at what appears to be a cask strength of 53.6%.
I have not had too many Benriach expressions and so am looking forward to picking this one apart.
This expression, tasted in a Túath Irish Whiskey Glass, is reviewed in my usual manner, allowing it to settle after which I take my nosing and tasting notes, followed by the addition of a capful of water, waiting, then nosing and tasting.
Nose: 22.5/25
Sweet. Fruity. A bit spirity and syrupy. Green apples that develop into golden delicious, caramel and a little vanilla. Rich, thick nose. Water brings out the fruit syrup a little more.
Taste: 21/25
Hot on the first sip, with sweet and sour in the background. Fruity. spicy and a little spirity with some caramel and more vanilla than in the nose. Water gives it a thinner mouthfeel, brightens up the spirit and makes it fruitier. with more pepper in the development. (22/25)
Finish: 21.5/25
medium long, astringent and peppery. More sour with water.
Balance: 21.5/25
Pleasant, not too complex on the palate, but it is complimented by the nose. Balances out a little more with water. (22/25)
Score: Neat - 86.5/100 With Water: 88 /100
I should note that I added 2-3 cc of water to what had started as a 25 mL pour. More than usual but it seemed to work very well.
This is a solid whisky. Definitely worth trying. Thanks again to @Cricklewood for sharing this with me.
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Glad to read your review and happy you seem to enjoy it as much as you did on first try. It take well to both airtime and water.
It's got that vibrancy of youth, that lovely fruit development, sweet, rich grain and a bit of pleasant sour/sharp in finish.
There is still a few Benriach single casks floating round Calgary but less and less everyday. The quality of the new out turns doesn't seem as high as before with many of them relying heavily on finishes.