1997 Benriach 21 Year Old "Chieftain's" K&L Exclusive Single Rum Barrel Finish Cask Strength Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml)

Notes

Once upon a time, we could bottle wonderful casks from Benriach Distillery direct at extremely reasonable prices with no trouble. This unusual distillery has always been a favorite of ours, filled with experiments left over from their corporate past and their adventurous new owners. One of the few Speysides to still boast a malt floor, it was always exciting to see the unusual experiments hiding in the old warehouses at Benriach. But at some point in the last five years, the prices climbed into the stratosphere, and when the distillery sold to Brown Forman, our hopes of seeing reasonably priced old single casks dwindled. Honestly, you can't really blame them for raising their prices, but it is difficult for us to justify continuing to purchase single casks at significantly higher prices. Our customers are too savvy for that. Not to say there isn't a market for it, but we simply can't sell 20-year-old malt for $500 unless there's something seriously special about it. So, it's particularly satisfying to see exceptional casks work their way out of the system. This wonderful Benriach, aged for 21 years and finished in a fresh rum barrel for more than 3 years, is our cask-strength answer to the Balvenie 21 Year. The malty beast that is Benriach is trained into perfect submission after years in an old rum barrel. The resulting whisky is extremely polished, supple, and packed full of tropical fruit. The price is astonishing, but this whisky is about more than just value.