Sherried Benrinnes versus meaty (or not) Mortlach
There are distilleries in Scotland that are known for some qualities that few others have. In the case of Benrinnes and Mortlach that we will be tasting today, it is a rather meaty character. This works particularly well with sherry cask maturation. The story about Mortlach is well-known, its 2.81 times distillation was once even marketed on the bottle. In short: the Mortlach still house gives room to six different stills, and the regime to create the malt is nicely explained here. Now, Benriness used to employ a similar regime, coming close to triple distillation as well (the other, famous, distillery working like this is of course Springbank). It seems that this practice has stopped in 2007, which was confirmed to me when I visited the distillery during the Spirit of Speyside Festival of 2019. Benrinnes is truly magnificent to visit, especially when you get a chance to see the old and abandoned saladin boxes for malting barley. Sadly, it is generally not open to the public. We taste today a Benrinnes from 2011, so a regularly double distilled version now. Let us see if this is indeed less meaty, in comparison to the Mortlach on the table.
Benrinnes 2011, 13 years old, bottled at 57,1 % abv by Signatory Vintage
First things first: Distilled in 2011 and bottled on 29 November 2024, this Benrinnes matured in first-fill oloroso sherry butts. Bottled in the 100 proof series by Signatory as #33.
Upon Sipping: Dark, bronze-gold colour in the glass. Promising! Yeah, at first whiff this is uberclassic sherry matured whisky. Really heavy, like you feel your nose is getting pulled into the glass just by taking the smells in. Furniture polish, tobacco leaves, Demerara sugar, chocolate and little to no fruitiness. Wet cask wood after dripping some whisky from the valinch in a warehouse. Classic is the operative word. Then a sip, and first thing that hits you is a beautiful but controlled sweetness on the tip of your tongue. Further down, dark, rum-drenched raisins. The wood speaks volumes, and the 100 proof is exactly right for this Benrinnes. The finish releases an explosion of wood spices but there is enough raspberry there to keep a good balance. With water the taste because even more jammy, but on the finish it turns a bit rough and unpolished.
Word to the Wise: Complex distillation regime or not, Benrinnes is (still) a perfect match for dominant sherry wood. This one will be a future classic, put it in the back of your cabinet.
Score: 88 points.
Mortlach 2013, 11 years old, bottled at 57,1 % abv by Signatory Vintage
First things first: Distilled in 2013 and bottled on 3 December 2024, this Mortlach matured in first-fill and second-fill oloroso sherry butts. Bottled in the 100 proof series by Signatory as #34.
Upon Sipping: Definitely lighter in colour compared to the Benrinnes. Not as sherry-forward either. We pick up sniffs of glue first before we get more peaches and apricot. A sourness lingers in the background, but I keep returning to apricot. Not unpleasant, very fruity, just unexpected when you read the cask make-up. Despite the sherry wood, I associate this Mortlach closer to some bourbon matured expressions. A lot of spirit character here. On the tongue, the apricot flavours keep on ruling supreme. These are very a-typical sherry casks! With water, the fruity spring aromas jump out of the glass. On the tongue, this Mortlach is not putting up a fight, but gives away soft vanilla and a nice sour note. Apricot marmalade, for sure. The finish is soft and gentle.
Word to the Wise: A whisky to drink in spring. I am quite taken aback by it, because I expected it to be much more meaty and challenging. This is almost like a gentle Speysider. A friendlier side of Mortlach then? A good example of a more-ish whisky, when you find yourself picking up the glass only to discover that you emptied it already. Excellent drinkability. Lovely dram.
Score: 86 points
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