Benrinnes is another distillery with which I am not too well acquainted. It is in the Speyside and pumps out a lot of whisky for Diageo’s blends–they’re known for a sherried style and for triple-distillation* (the only Speysider apparently to do this). The only regular official release, I think, is the 15 yo in the Flora & Fauna range. I haven’t had this one, but I’ve had some indies: a younger, more atypical cask strength ex-bourbon 11 yo from Signatory (which I liked fine) and two older releases, one of which I liked well enough (a 26 yo from Chieftain’s), one that I thought was just okay (a 25 yo from the Bladnoch forum). I’m hoping to get to know these distilleries that are relative blindspots for me a little better and so this Mackillop’s Choice bottling.
*Edit: see clarifications in the comments on this score.
Benrinnes 23, 1988 (43%; Mackillop’s Choice; cask 2836; from a purchased sample)
It does not specify on Whiskybase (and presumably on the label) but this looks like it’s probably ex-bourbon. Why it was not bottled at cask strength, I don’t know: most of the Mackillop’s Choice bottles I’ve seen have been at cask strength.
Nose: Grassy, malty sweetness. Not much else at first but after a little air there’s some musky fruit under it–nothing very distinct though. With more time there’s orange peel and the malt’s a little more roasted now. Not bad.
Palate: Sweet at first but then there’s some citrus followed by a metallic bitterness. The mouthfeel is too thin. There’s a little more depth on the second sip with the citrus intensifying a little (lemon rather than orange here)
Finish: Longer than expected. The sweetness lingers a little but mostly it’s metallic, turning bitter (in an uninteresting kind of way).
Comments: This may be old but it’s not got a whole lot going on other than the age. Kind of run of the mill and anonymous. I didn’t add water as it didn’t seem likely to me that it was going to do the whisky much good–but who knows, maybe it would have gained some complexity.
Rating: 82 points.
My Annoying Opinions 
Benrinnes has an ubiquitous presence on the US shelves: Rattray’s Stronachie 12yo, with older versions also available. I did not know they triple-distill. Are you sure about this? Auchentoshan makes a lot of noise over them being the only Scotch distillery that triple-distills. Also, Benrinnes has a beefy body (not in your bottle, apparently) that seems incongruous with triple-distillation.
FWIW, here were my notes for the Stronachie 12yo – there are some similarities but also differences with your much older bottle:
“Although a little rough around the edges, it has a strong personality, it’s whisky with character. Engrossing bee-hive smell, with toffee and bakery; salty; a little grungy, not particularly clean or elegant. The taste is consistent with the smell. The alcohol is a little strong and may need taming with a drop of water. The finish is a bit of a letdown, medium-short and slightly bitter. A manly whisky, great around a campfire or for a night at the beach. 3*”
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Florin, Benrinnes has a complicated semi-triple distillation setup, kind of like Springbank
http://whiskyscience.blogspot.com/2012/03/triple-distillation-in-scotland.html
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BenRiach has been releasing triple-distilled whisky for the last few years. It’s the only Speyside distillery to be doing a third distillation even if it’s a small percentage of their output.
As Jordan noted, Benrinnes is two and a half distilled meaning it’s more similar in style to Mortlach and Springbank.
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Thanks, Jordan and Eric, for clarifying. I should have checked more closely on whether it was regular or partial triple distillation. I’ve added a note in the post.
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No problem. If you can grab a bottle or sample, Benriach Horizons 12 year is the main triple-distilled bottle in the standard line-up (I think this might be an annual limited release). Benriach also releases older bottlings in their Single Casks but those might be harder to find. Also you will need to check the label to see if you are getting a triple-distilled bottle.
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I just saw the latest K&L Spirit Journal post on the Davids visiting Benrinnes. You didn’t tell us that you and Driscoll do simultaneous reviews, that’s a fantastic development!
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Yes, I’ve been part of their affiliate program for years. I only pretend to make fun of them from time to time in order to keep up appearances.
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Something interesting I noticed in David’s post is that Benrinnes is back to double distillation. According to Malt Madness, the stills were rearranged around 2006-2007 so most independent bottles are probably from the 2.5 distillations days.
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