Benrinnes 12 Year Old 2011 Dram Mor First Fill Rancio Sec Cask #306501 Speyside Single Malt Whisky (2023) 70cl
1 of 277 bottles
A single cask bottling of cask #306501 from Benrinnes distillery. It has been independently bottled by Dràm Mòr for their autumn 2023 release. The spirit was finished in a first fill Rancio Sec hogshead.
Rancio Sec is similar to select fortified wines like Sherry and Madeira. Sherry is made exclusively in the Jerez wine region of southern Spain, and different varieties produce vastly different flavor profiles. Fino sherry is closest to Rancio Sec in terms of its dryness, but oxidative sherries like oloroso are closer to Rancio Sec’s funky umami flavor.
Basically ... French Sherry
Tasting Notes
Nose : Fresh, calm milk chocolate.
Palate : A uniquely sumptuous flavour that plays with the taste buds. Very complex and an absolute joy. Lightly peppery and unsweetened coco.
Finish : Warming pepper which finesses the taste buds.
About Benrinnes
Located on the lower slopes of Speyside’s sentinel mountain, ‘The Ben’ is another of those intriguing distilleries which produces a highly individual make but which – due to its demand by blenders – has never become a front-line single malt.
It has six stills which are run in two pairs of three. For years a form of partial triple distillation was utilised to help promote a meaty/sulphury new make character. The low wines from the first distillation were split into strong and weak feints. The lower-strength portion was redistilled in the middle still and split into two again, with the stronger part [strong feints] being carried forward, the weaker being retained for the next charge. The strong feints were then mixed with the highest strength distillate from the wash still and redistilled in the spirit still.
Everything is run through worm tubs which are kept very cold, adding weight and meatiness to the spirit. In recent years, this complex distillation has been simplified.
Occasionally seen as an independent bottling, the clearest manifestation of its meaty quality (which puts it in a similar stylistic camp as Dailuaine, Mortlach and Cragganmore) is Diageo’s Flora and Fauna bottling which comes from 100% ex-Sherry matured whisky.
The current site of the Benrinnes distillery is in fact its second location. The original was built in 1826 by Peter MacKenzie but was destroyed in a flood in 1829. A new site was then found by John Innes.
Its most famous owner was Alexander Edward who was a partner in Craigellachie distillery, owned Aultmore, Dallas Dhu and was for a time co-owner of Oban [see Craigellachie]. The Edward family sold the distillery (which had caught fire in 1896) to John Dewar in 1922. It is now part of the Diageo stable.
About Dram Mor
Dràm Mòr is an independent spirits bottler established in 2019 by husband and wife team Kenny and Viktorija Macdonald. The company started as an export agency for Scottish brands, but as demand for independent, high-quality spirits increased, we decided it was time to venture into the world of independent bottling. They provide bespoke single cask spirits to 14 countries worldwide and they're delighted to grow the business portfolio to include a range of spirits along with carefully selected whiskies. Today, their products can be found in specialty spirits retailers, Michelin Star restaurants, and bespoke wine and gourmet outlets worldwide. Viktorija and Kenny both have backgrounds working for Whisky companies and are the co-founders of the Mòr Whisky Club held at Oran Mòr, Glasgow.
52.8% ABV
70cl
