BenRiach 1997 16 YO Sauternes Finish - Distillery Exclusive

BenRiach 1997 16 YO Sauternes Finish - Distillery Exclusive, 59,2 %

I visited the BenRiach Distillery just  a couple of days ago. A lovely distillery well worth a visit, I must say. I will do a review of the distillery itself shortly.

At their visitor center we got to try a few whiskies, of course. One of the whiskies we tried was the BenRiach 1997 16 YO Sauternes Finish - Distillery Exclusive. It was distilled in 1997, bottled in August 2013, with  a total outturn of 293 bottles from cask #3764.

This whisky has been matured for 12 years in a bourbon barrel, then it had a four year long finish in an Sauternes wine cask.

I cannot recall the exact price for it, but I believe it was around GBP 65-70.

Nose (23/25): A very nice nose! Rich and full; chocolate, fudge, strawberries, apricots, apples, malt, and a mild element of mustard seeds. Really, really nice. I am millimeters from giving it an even higher score.

Taste (22/25): Rich, velvety and full bodied. The palate certainly does match the nose here. There's a lot going on here; the apples are back, and there's caramel, sugary sweetness, certainly some dessert wine notes. The sweetness is balanced by a mild mix of spices, which also makes it slightly dry. Adding a bit of water (just a few drops) makes it more creamy. Then a sip or two and it turns drier and crispier again. It keeps developing.

Finish (22/25): Long and medium warm finish. Wave after wave of crisp sweetness followed by the richer and creamier fruitiness.

Balance (22/25): A really nice dram! Almost worth the trip to the distillery just to get this bottle.

Score (89/100)

Sláinte! - Thomas