Benromach Sassicaia Wood Finish

This interesting bottling features malt distilled in 2004, matured in a combination of bourbon barrels and sherry casks (for I think five years?), then finished for 18 months in Sassicaia wine casks from Bolgheri in Tuscany. Not sure if I've ever tasted Sassicaia wine (probably not) - if you have, let me know what it's like!

The colour is a rich, creamy gold. On the nose we have rich, dark fruits (dates, rum-soaked raisins, black cherries), damp leather, tobacco, cinnamon. The malt with the very light peat in the background ties it all together. Water provides a little more balance.

On the palate you get the wine finish even more, with more rich fruits, a little more spice and peat, with a rich luscious mouthfeel. Very nicely done but could be a little bit more complex...but wait! Water does that job nicely with a bit more spice and peat.

The finish is ashy, a little dry and slightly bitter. Not in a bad way, but it seems to speak to the youth of the malt. This is a very interesting contrast to the 10 year old, and makes for a good study in the influence of wine cask finishes (which I tend to be hit-and-miss on, but the hits I've had are fantastic). Tasting them side-by-side illustrates remarkably how the Sassicaia flavours integrate with the core malt. I suspect this would be pretty fantastic with a few more years under its belt, but who knows...the fellows at G&M know what they're doing.

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