1999 Benrinnes 12 Year Old K&L Exclusive Signatory Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 750ml (Pre-Arrival)

One of our favorite experiences when visiting Scotland is the chance to taste whisky from distilleries that don't bottle their whisky as a single malt. Diageo owns the whisky from more than forty distilleries, many of which are used only for the company's blended Scotch labels like Johnnie Walker. Benrinnes is one such distillery. Named after the famous Speyside mountain, it is known for its lively character and fruity essence, providing the backbone of expression to many successful blends. Our cask is very much reminiscent of this reputation, beginning with plenty of fresh fruit with barrel spice and a playful palate that reminded us of our Bladnoch selection from last year. With a few drops of water the oils come out, bringing more texture, soft flavors of oak, and plenty of vanilla to balance out all the fruit. The result is a wonderful bottle of Scotch, offering depth, variety, and drinkability. Benrinnes isn't as widely-known as many of the other distilleries whose whisky we'll be importing and it is precisely for that reason we're excited to bring it to our customers. In the great hunt for value in single malt whisky, we must continue to search outside the box. In this case, we've found a real winner from a distillery we'd like to see more of. (David Driscoll, K&L Spirits Buyer)