Benrinnes 17yo Virgin Oak
Alistair Walker Infrequent Flyers | 56.1% ABV
Score: 7/10
Very Good Indeed.
TL;DR
I can’t really make heads nor tails of this shapeshifter, but I know I like it.
Whisky. Pushing my comfort zone
The thing about whisky, is that it’s not all about the whisky. It’s been said time and again; it’s the people, the many wonderful, welcoming people that make up our community, lifting our spirits. Hanging out with like minded folk, brought together by a shared love for whisky, discussing life, the universe and everything; it seldom gets better than that, does it?
Generally speaking, I’m not the biggest extrovert . Far from it in fact, and casual chit chat with strangers tends to be something I’ll avoid if at all possible. So, and obviously in the proper setting and under the right circumstances I’ll hasten to add, whisky makes for an excellent conversation starter.
I was at a store the other day, hunting for the umpteenth bottle to add to the cabinet. The store itself isn’t dedicated to whisky, per se, it’s more of a ‘delicatessen’ store with a small yet fairly decent selection of whisky and other spirits. It's definitely not the cheapest store near me, but apart from the advantage of proximity - it’s less than 2 miles from my doorstep – it’s got one other major thing going for it; they tend to stock bottlings from J&A Mitchell, more or less at RRP at that. And just having a store near me that will almost always have if not Springbank, then definitely Kilkerran or Longrow or Hazelburn, is not something to be sneezed at.
So upon my visit, already fixed and locked at the Campbeltown selection, I noticed another person going back and forth past the whisky aisle, grabbing bottles from a shelf, putting them back only to pick up another one and so on. Eventually, I approached him and asked if he was looking for anything in particular. A, granted, unsolicited, but open offer to engage in conversation, but the fish didn’t exactly bite.
Something down the lines of ‘yeah, I’ve been drinking whisky for nearly 20 years’ was the short answer, and when I picked up on that by enquiring which whisky he preferred, the even shorter answer ‘depends on the mood’ followed.
He wasn’t unfriendly by any means, but his way of replying and his non verbal communication all indicated he had little to no interest in engaging in conversation, so I just left it at that. He seemed to be in somewhat of a hurry, and truth be told, so was I as I had other errands to run. It was only later on that I felt as though I should’ve perhaps ‘insisted’ more. As he was carrying a cycling helmet, I more or less assumed that he must live and /or work nearby, and seeing how fellow enthusiasts near me are few and far between, the encounter seems like a missed opportunity.
A missed opportunity to connect with a fellow enthusiast on a personal level, one on one, sure, but also a missed opportunity to see where things might have taken us if only I’d been a bit more ‘pushy’. We could have talked about what we like in whisky, which tastings, venues and whisky festivals we might attend and how it enables us to meet up with other beautiful whisky folk living further away. Or about all the small scale, but beautiful, independent stores near us. Stores whose proprietors have become friendly and familiar faces over the years. The store, for example, where I picked up the bottle I’m reviewing today.
Review
Benrinnes 17yo, Virgin Oak Barrel Finish. Infrequent Flyers, Cask 6138 - 217 Bottle Outturn, 56.1% ABV
£93 - Available Online
Alistair Walker is quickly becoming one of my favourite indie bottlers –due to some excellent value, great quality bottlings. One of these gems was a young and absolutely delicious Glenglassaugh I encountered last year, finished in virgin oak . So when that particular go to store stocked a few bottles of a 17yo Benrinnes also finished in virgin oak, I didn’t think twice. Especially at the price point it was offered for.
Don’t get me wrong, £93 is by no means cheap, but when you’re talking about a 17 yo cask strength single malt whisky anno 2024, it could almost be deemed a bargain seeing something with less than 3 digits on the price tag.
Score: 7/10
Very Good Indeed.
TL;DR
I can’t really make heads nor tails of this shapeshifter, but I know I like it.
Nose
Citrus-y and fruity sweetness with hints of lemon sherbet and apples and even apple sauce, apricot and granulated sugar. There’s a density to it with vanilla oil and some linseed oil and there’s an ever so slightly grassy element to it, like a rained out, just starting to dry lawn in spring.
When coming back to it on another occasion, I’m suddenly getting far ‘deeper’ notes of wood oil and varnish, with dried oranges and blackcurrant in the mix. Adding water brought out the apples and the grassy notes on one occasion, only to shift more towards a more oily element with notes of greenhouse flowers and geraniums on the next visit.
Palate
A soft prickle from black pepper. Initially a bit feisty and hot from the ABV even. Dense, clinging mouthfeel in the form of a fruity syrupy texture. Creamy as well. Adding water really helps to allow things to open up. The dense fruity notes remain, but now there’s also treacle, while the mouthfeel develops more towards a dry, woody texture that lingers on alongside bags and bags of apple and citrus notes in a long, pleasant finish.
The Dregs
This took a bit of time to reveal all it has to offer. In fact the level was already well below the shoulder before things really clicked. It’s a busy and layered wee dram, and while I absolutely love the fact that it changes shape and form and reveals different sides of what it can offer depending on when I try this, I will say that it could have been a bit more rounded and better ‘integrated’, given its age. I initially had this down as a 6, then it jumped way up to an 8, and eventually I landed on marking it a 7/10.
This, I think, is down to the oak, as it’s quite peculiar, almost downright weird in this one. It makes a mark, but I can't help but feel the original cask (refill bourbon?) doesn’t always see eye to eye with the virgin oak used in the finish on where they want to take this whisky. Bags and bags of flavour and plenty of character, so there’s that. But the balance isn’t always quite on point, in my opinion. That said, I find I’m quite enjoying this, if only for the element of surprise it has to offer.
The one thing you don’t want a well-aged, single malt whisky to be, is boring, after all. This one is arguably the exact opposite of that. So, I’ll raise this one to missed opportunities and encounters that weren’t meant to be, knowing there will always be more whisky, and, more importantly, there will always be another opportunity to connect with people, thanks to this beautiful amber nectar.
Score: 7/10
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. EA
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