Benrinnes 2013

Silver at Tokyo Whisky & Spirits Competition

Sometimes a delicate whisky, light but full of subtleties, is what we like best: no special effects, no strong peat, no strong sherry. This Speyside malt fits the bill, with its fresh, easy, refined flavour palette that lets the spirit speak and show its purity. At the nose it’s very gentle: a bouquet of spring meadow flowers, a delicately fruity note (bananas, oranges, apricots), a whiff of vanilla. It’s fragrant and caressing as few whiskies are. At the palate it remains very delicate, but more assertive in the intensity of taste: an intricate tapestry of acacia honey, vanilla, lemon peel, ripe oranges and black cherries, but also a slightly fatter touch of beeswax and even a hint of tannins that might be mistaken for a whiff of smokiness. Only the aftertaste grows in peppery spiciness and intensity, yet still remaining honeyed and easy.