Press Release..
INTRODUCING BENRIACH CASK BOTTLING BATCH 16
Founded in 1898, BenRiach Distillery has long been the home of an ingenious approach to whisky distilling and cask maturation. The release of BenRiach Cask Bottling Batch 16 offers a rich insight into the eclectic cask collection from around the world residing in the warehouses of this north Speyside distillery. Master Blender, Dr. Rachel Barrie, has hand-selected 24 different casks to feature in this limited edition batch release, showcasing an exceptional range of hand-crafted cask bottlings, in both unpeated and peated styles.
Batch 16 includes 16 unpeated and 8 peated cask bottlings from a selection of cask types sourced from around the world: Tokaji wine, oloroso sherry, pedro ximénez, port, claret, madeira, sauternes, virgin oak, South African red wine, Jamaican rum, rioja, Sicilian Marsala, and bourbon. Each bottle is filled exclusively from one of these individual cask types. From this batch, 12 casks will be available in Europe and 12 casks in Asia Pacific, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.
Master Blender Dr. Rachel Barrie said:
“There is no better insight into our intriguing palette of flavour than BenRiach Cask Bottling Batch 16. Featuring 24 different casks, this release provides a rare opportunity to explore the many facets of BenRiach maturation in one batch, something us whisky makers are lucky to do every day. Batch 16 offers the sweet side of Sicilian Marsala wood, smoked plum of the Rioja cask and a dark manuka honey palate of the 30 year old Tokaji; there is a journey and a story behind each cask bottling to be enjoyed by whisky explorers.”
BenRiach Cask Bottling Release – Batch 16 is available to purchase from specialist retailers from June 2019 in Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. See details below on cask availability by region. Depending on the expression, the ABV ranges from 46.5% to 61.6%. All are non-chill filtered and of natural colour.
TASTING NOTES:
EUROPEAN ALLOCATED CASKS:
7214, 1865, 7881, 6500, 3791, 3435, 7611, 2506, 3237, 3085, 6095, 7825
1985 CASK #7214
Aged: 33 years
Cask Type: Virgin Oak
Appearance: Demerara brown.
Nose: Salted caramel, oak-spiced orange and smoked mango emerge with toasted pinewood, applewood and lemon peel. Palate: A burst of sweet lemon, honey and grapefruit on the tongue. Guava, passion fruit and lemongrass linger into the long tropical finish.
ABV: 48.1%
1991 CASK #1865
Aged: 27 years
Cask Type: Rum
Appearance: Bright yellow-gold.
Nose: Ripe guava and papaya burst with golden syrup followed by layers of chocolate cake, almond and buttermilk.
Palate: Luscious sips of tropical fruit with guava, pineapple and mango as fruit builds with mandarin and peach mid-palate, leaving an intriguing coconut and grapefruit finish.
ABV: 50.3%
1993 CASK #7881
Aged: 25 years
Cask Type: Rioja
Appearance: Autumn russet-gold.
Nose: Chocolate, toasted hazelnut and cherry cake open to reveal plum, baking spice and burnt vanilla meringue, with a back-note of leather and tobacco leaf.
Palate: The bittersweet taste of dark chocolate and blackberry compote lead to smoked plum, black pepper and cherry stone into the firm, fruity finish.
ABV: 54.3%
1994 CASK #6500
Aged: 24 years
Cask Type: Marsala
Appearance: Dark apricot
Nose: Chargrilled apricot leads to honey, eucalyptus leaf and roast chestnut, with a savoury spice.
Palate: Barbecued apricot and root beer with blackcurrant and beeswax. Apricot, cherry stone and leather linger into the long- lasting sweetly smoked finish.
ABV: 51.8%
2005 CASK #3791
Aged: 14 years
Cask Type: Port
Appearance: Dark ruby.
Nose: Bramble and baked apple pie topped with burnt orange and redcurrant on pastry.
Palate: Roasted apple, liquorice and fennel with cherry, salted caramel and dark chocolate.
ABV: 55.3%
2005 CASK #3435
Aged: 13 years
Cask Type: Rum
Appearance: Bright summer gold.
Nose: Tropical notes of guava and cantaloupe melon combine with vanilla. Chocolate and coconut covered marshmallow soften and round off the nose.
Palate: Tropical fruit salad with pineapple, pear and papaya. Honeyed melon and coconut cream linger into the smooth, sweet finish.
ABV: 55.0%
2007 CASK #7611
Aged: 12 years
Cask Type: Rum
Appearance: Golden yellow sunshine.
Nose: Jamaican rum truffles with cocoa beans, coconut milk and chocolate cake, intermingled with sea salt and star anise. Palate: Pina colada with cocoa beans, rum and raisin ice cream and iced cappuccino leaving a rum-laced espresso coffee finish. ABV: 59.5%
2008 CASK #2506
Aged: 11 years
Cask Type: Bourbon
Appearance: Bright gold.
Nose: Smoked mint and blackcurrant from a mountain campfire, with bramley apple sauce.
Palate: Grilled red grape smothered in olive oil with smoked angelica and star anise, progressing to a charred apple and maple finish.
ABV: 59.4%
2007 CASK #3237
Aged: 11 years
Cask Type: Oloroso
Appearance: Bronze with gold highlights.
Nose: Caramel waffle with layers of buttermilk, vanilla, cinnamon and brown sugar alongside toffee and butterscotch. Palate: Sherry and crème brûlée with burnt caramel on top, followed by toffee apple and nutty treacle.
ABV: 61.2%
2008 #3085
Aged: 10 years
Cask Type: Oloroso
Appearance: Golden brown.
Nose: Baked apricot and walnut cake with buttery vanilla demerara sugar and ground nutmeg.
Palate: Steamed apricot bread and butter pudding with burnt raisins on top. Dried fruit, nutmeg and walnut linger into the sumptuous finish.
ABV: 61.6%
2009 #6095
Aged: 9 years
Cask Type: Virgin Oak
Appearance: Dark orange sunset.
Nose: Warm toasted oak, thick maple syrup and sandalwood with layers of brown sugar, caramel and vanilla.
Palate: Chocolate caramel, vanilla and dried apricot finishing with hazelnut, honeycomb and candied apple.
ABV: 58.5%
2012 #7825
Aged: 7 years
Cask Type: Virgin Oak
Appearance: Bright orange-gold.
Nose: Orange, grape and cherry candy in salted caramel with hazelnut nougat and ice cream. Birch and cherry tree bark linger in the background.
Palate: Orange candy, poached pear and custard meld with rhubarb and birch smoke leaving a lingering smoked fruit finish. ABV: 61.2%
ASIA PACIFIC, AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND AND CANADA ALLOCATED CASKS:
4422, 1850, 7944, 7379, 7385, 7858, 4438, 6924, 6704, 1853, 7865, 1647
1988 #4422
Aged: 30 years
Cask Type: Tokaji
Appearance: Topaz.
Nose: Intense sweet dessert wine with honeyed fig, baked pineapple and apricot marmalade. Clove and crystallised ginger provide an intriguing spiced back-note.
Palate: Surprising balance of dark manuka honey, sultana and raisin syrup as baked pineapple and citrus peel build with ginger marmalade into the lingering grapey finish.
ABV: 46.5%
1991 #1850
Aged: 27 years
Cask Type: Madeira
Appearance: Burnt Sienna orange.
Nose: Baked orange, treacle toffee and honeysuckle, with layers of toasted brioche, roast coffee and black pepper.
Palate: Nectarine, fig roll and clotted cream open on the palate. ABV: 53.9%
1993 #7944
Aged: 25 years
Cask Type: Claret
Appearance: Auburn.
Nose: Sweet honeysuckle, cherry blossom and grape vine, with golden syrup and vanilla. Fresh oak brings clarity throughout. Palate: Sweet, floral and fruity with red apple and grape, smothered in honey and vanilla cream. Candy floss and red grape skin leave a deliciously sweet and refined finish.
ABV: 53.1%
1994 #7379
Aged: 24 years
Cask Type: Bourbon
Appearance: Dark honey gold.
Nose: Elegant and intriguing. Caramelised pear in golden syrup with bourbon vanilla leading to mint ice cream with dark chocolate pieces.
Palate: Multilayered sweet and fresh desserts. Poached pear smothered in vanilla and coconut cream leads to a cleansing mint and dark chocolate finish.
ABV: 54.5%
1995 #7385
Aged: 23 years
Cask Type: Oloroso
Appearance: Antique gold.
Nose: Intense smoked vanilla, with orange and ground ginger. Pear and smoked applewood emerge with nutmeg and cherry tree bark.
Palate: Apple and calvados fill the palate with waves of guava, acacia honey and sweet birch. The exceedingly long finish leaves nutmeg and roasted apple.
ABV: 51.7%
1997 #7858
Aged: 21 years
Cask Type: Virgin Oak
Appearance: Orange gold.
Nose: A confectionery shop of blackcurrant sweets, sugared pineapple cubes, strawberry bonbons and chocolate coated honeycomb.
Palate: Pineapple, vanilla and honeycomb with coconut ice and sugar candy. Blackberry cream builds into the long-lasting sweet, fruity finish.
ABV: 51.9%
1997 #4438
Aged: 21 years
Cask Type: Marsala
Appearance: Burnt orange sunset
Nose: Deliciously sweet with clementine segments, grape and vanilla ice cream in fruit syrup with a blacknote of milk chocolate hazelnut.
Palate: A fruit cocktail of nectarine, pear, pineapple and grape with red cherry lingering into the mouthwatering finish.
ABV: 54.1%
2005 #6924
Aged: 13 years
Cask Type: Pedro Ximenez
Appearance: Dark honey with russet highlights.
Nose: Butterscotch and crème caramel lead the way. Maple syrup and pecan appear with layers of cream sherry and caramel fudge cake.
Palate: Dark manuka honey and cream sherry on buttered pancakes lead to gingerbread and treacle. Caramelised ginger and pecan toffee remain in the long, sumptuous finish.
ABV: 56.2%
2005 #6704
Aged: 13 years
Cask Type: Port
Appearance: Dark ruby.
Nose: Dark chocolate cherry, sandalwood and freshly cracked walnut with truffle oil and beeswax in the background.
Palate: Treacle toffee apple and unctuous dark manuka honey develop into a finish of dark chocolate coated cherry and walnut. ABV: 57.5%
2006 #1853
Aged: 12 years
Cask Type: Sauternes
Appearance: Deep summer gold.
Nose: Sweet lemon meringue pie and poached pear topped with toasted almond, vanilla and coconut ice.
Palate: Sip lemon zest and caster sugar in meringue baked with vanilla and cardamom. Pear and almond tarte tatin linger into the delicious dessert-like finish.
ABV: 55.2%
2008 #7865
Aged: 10 years
Cask Type: Adoro
Appearance: Burnished copper.
Nose: Chocolate coated apple, heather honey and layers of soft ripe fruit with a backnote of grape and cocoa.
Palate: An autumn fruit basket with red and green apple, ripe plum and hazelnut, leading to a deliciously intriguing grape and mocha finish.
ABV: 59.0%
2009 #1647
Aged: 10 years
Cask Type: Madeira
Appearance: Deep golden syrup.
Nose: Oven-baked, caramelised orange flan with mandarin, cloves, chilli pepper and salted crème caramel.
Palate: Smoked orange and spiced mulled wine with burnt caramel, black pepper and toffee.
ABV: 59.0%
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