Benrinnes 16 Year (Blackadder Raw Cask, Montilla/PX wine finish)

 

This is an interesting one because it's a sister cask to the other Blackadder Benrinnes I had not long ago - that one was cask 309928 and was 15 years old with a rum finish. This is cask 309926, 16 years old and with an unusual Montilla PX finish. 

Montilla (sometimes called Montilla-Moriles) is a wine made exclusively with Pedro Ximenez grapes (similar, of course, to PX sherry). The wine itself is usually aged according to the same solera system that sherry uses, and features the same "range" of flavors - from fino to oloroso to PX. 

However, unlike sherry, Montilla is not fortified. It's safe to say I have *never* seen a Scotch aged for any length of time in a Montilla cask, so I am super curious about this Benrinnes. The rum casked version I tried back in April was astounding, so this ought to be good.

16 years old, unknown amount of time in the Montilla wine finishing cask, bottled at 54.7% ABV. Here we go:

Nose: Wow, very rich. I immediately pick up big notes of black tea, candle wax, stewed raisins, old leather, old libraries, and malted barley. The more I let it sit, the bigger that tea-and-raisins note gets until it really dominates the nose. 

Underneath the tea and sherry are some different things I assume are the core Benrinnes spirit: wheat, apple, and some wood. 

With some water, the tea note is submerged a bit and more meaty notes shine through - honey-glazed ham, big malt, and a scent I can only describe as "old book glue." 

Mouthfeel: Pretty full and viscous. Coats the mouth fully. Surprisingly waxy. 

Palate: Very unusual - the candle wax and tea notes are still very strong, but it comes with aged ham, red jam, stewed raisins, brown sugar, and wood spice. A second sip brings more sweet sherry flavors and delicate wood spice, along with definite dessert wine notes of quince and honey. 

With water, it changes very little, with only the introduction of a luscious orange citrus note changing things up. 

Finish: Long and sweet, with some underlying oak dryness. Red stewed fruit, honey, wood spice, black pepper are predominant. 

Verdict: A rich and decadent dram. The Benrinnes is rich and meaty to begin with, and then the Montilla wine cask finish adds big notes of tea, meat, raisins, and old books that really mix things up and refine the experience. A lovely whisky.