Benrinnes, 1997, 2026, DeDr, 28 yrs, 52.4 %, Peugeot, WB296208

The Benrinnes distillery is actually in its second location. The original distillery was built by Peter MacKenzie in 1826, but it was destroyed by a flood in 1829. John Innes then found a new site. Around 1974, the distillery began a partial triple distillation process, but abandoned triple distillation in favour of traditional double distillation using two wash stills and four spirit stills in 2007. Consequently, this whisky from 1997 is triple distilled. Benrinnes uses worm tubs. The glass, by the way, is the Peugeot glass and comes with a cooling base. Sorry guys, but as a stem holder (no pun intended), I'm afraid this glass is just not beautiful. It feels cheap when you manage to hold it. Looking at the whisky and its colour, dark thoughts occur. Inevitably, I think about the new Spider-Man series, Spider-Noir. Don’t get me wrong; I like the Noir Spider-Man, the idea of Spider-Verse and the character, but Nicolas Cage? Really? I'm not so sure about that.

Nose: There are certainly some nice dark fruits, but it is also floral. There are flowers blossoming in some front gardens at the moment; it smells like a rich, sweet, nectar-like floral blend. The aroma closely resembles jasmine tinged with vanilla, balanced by bright citrus nuances and a deep, warm honey undertone. This famously heady aroma often evokes nostalgic feelings of warm summer evenings. The flower is called honeysuckle. There are chocolaty notes, but not overly dark. There is a jam-like quality, perhaps raspberry or other dark berries. It is not as dense as the colouring suggests. Interestingly, there are some vegetal notes, such as courgette. Cucumber? Paprika? There are hints of leather and tobacco.

Palate: Juicy and fruity, but not dark fruits as one might expect. It's reminiscent of old, dense cider, young rum, old tequila and medium-aged armagnac. It could be any or all of the drinks that PI Ben Reilly drinks, and he drinks a lot. It reminds me of a red wine, perhaps a Pinot Noir or a young Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

Finish: Not as long as one would expect for a whisky of that age. There are some sweet and sour sensations, such as orange zest and orange juice. There are cherry notes, but not the sour ones. Be careful when drinking it; if you take a sip the wrong way, the alcohol burns unexpectedly. An unidentifiable juice aroma lingers. “We don’t pick the ballroom. We just dance.” Spider-Man Noir.

89/88/89

 

Speyside (M) 2011 14 Year Old Luvians Grad Dram 2026 1st-Fill Ximénez Sherry Butt Finish

Another secret Speysider, but there are hints. I wonder why the 'M' is so prominent — maybe it's a clue? A Speysider with an M? Is it Mannochmore (no, it's Macallan), or perhaps Mortlach (no it is Macallan)? I don't know — maybe it's Miltonduff (no Macallan). I can't solve this mystery. I wonder why they're being so mysterious when they've made it so obvious. Anyway.

Nose: nice fruity notes – maybe I can identify those, such as raspberry. You know, raspberry is not a berry, but It is classified as an aggregate fruit, anyway now I get some nuts like almonds, but the sweet ones, more like marzipan. The big one is also here, the coconut, but it's cloaked in mystery, perhaps as an alcoholic cocktail like a Pina Colada? No, pineapple coconut mimosa? Nah, Bahama Mama? Of course, it's a no(u)t! What about the tropical coconut rum punch? Maybe... definitely unexpectedly summery. It's berry season, and people are cooking all kinds of jams and syrups.

Palate: The cane sugar family is inviting you to a cocktail party. Rum and tequila are dancing salsa and lambada around the palate. Some deep oak notes appear on the dance floor, performing some weird break moves. Cinnamon, pepper and pimento applaud alongside cloves.

Finish: Very sweet espresso, with a sweet-sour sensation and hints of salt, like an olive in a dry martini. It is not short, but appropriately long. The pickled salty olive lingers for a while longer, accompanied by orange zest.

Tiny drops of water reveal more oaky notes and nutmeg accompanies the cinnamon while the espresso becomes black tea.

88/88/87

Speyside (M) SV, 2005, 2026, 20 yrs, DRU17/A106 #21, 58.4 %, WB295567

Another mysterious, misty, mountainous, malty, mind-boggling Macallan. The new stills in the large machinery were installed around 2017/18, so this spirit was distilled using the legendary old stills. However, they already had 21 stills in 1975, so it's not that small. The new facility houses 12 wash stills and 24 spirit stills, essentially running three parallel distillation setups under one spectacular roof.

Nose: The nose is nice, with hints of maple syrup, date syrup and dark

honey. There are also hints of Yucatan honey, rum raisins and dark chocolate, as well as soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, cooked plums and other dark fruits, such as blackcurrants, blackberries, black cherries, black elderberries, black goji berries and black grapes that are already fermenting — is this Eiswein? There are hints of leather and tobacco, and an umami flavour as if someone is frying dark meat.

Palate: Chewing tobacco, sour, like biting into old leather with dried BBQ sauce. It's like a young but dense red wine from hot regions around Spain, Portugal or South Africa. Or perhaps some Malbec from Chile or those dense, tannic, deep purple Californian Napa Valley wines. There is some sweetness, but it is totally suppressed by oaky, syrupy, winey notes. Some might say it's almost undrinkable espresso, but others find it deep, rich and interesting. I don't know — total failure or a big success? As always, try it for yourself and form your own opinion.

Finish: Long-lasting with young tannins; wild, untamed and slightly alcoholic red wines dominate. Refreshingly youthful, although old — but who wants to die young anyway?

'Dying is banal. Whatever time I have left, I want to fill it with nothing but cocktails and chaos." - The Boroughs.

91/91/92