Whisky Focus - BenRiach Batch 11 Single Cask Bottlings

BenRiach has today announced the release of Batch 11 of its popular and highly rated single cask bottlings.

This eleventh batch of BenRiach comprises of fourteen single casks that were bottled in July 2014 and all are available as of today.

Ranging from 9 up to 37 years old, the much-anticipated release demonstrates a hugely eclectic range of expressions for which Elgin’s award-winning BenRiach is renowned, with astonishing variety across the fourteen casks. These include whiskies in the traditional, classic Speyside style, peated expressions and wood finishes such as Dark Rum, Tawny Port, Madeira, Virgin Oak, Pedro Ximenez Sherry and a Marsala wood finish.

As usual all fourteen casks have been hand-selected by BenRiach’s Managing Director and Master Distiller Billy Walker who described them as "absolutely special" and added:

"Wood Management is one of the most important factors in ensuring excellence of quality during maturation. The most important factor is to use top-quality casks – Bourbon barrels, Hogsheads and ex-Wine Seasoned casks - and there is a role in the maturation process for all of these casks. Getting the wood right can be expensive but it’s one of the things I’m most proud of since we took over BenRiach."

And what an amazing range there is in Batch Eleven.

The oldest whisky in this batch is the BenRiach 1976 Cask No. 529 which was bottled at 44.2% ABV, it was Sherry Cask Matured and finished in a Bourbon barrel. BenRiach describe as - Fresh crisp oak and cereal combine with sweet plum syrup, developing to an elegant, soft tropical fruit and toasted coconut finish.

Meanwhile the youngest in the batch is the BenRiach 2005 Cask No. 3781 which was bottled at 58.7% ABV, BenRiach say that the Virgin American Oak Hogshead, offers floods of sweet peat reek in rich caramelised apple and pear, softening gently to dried apricot and desiccated coconut.

And another from the batch which is sure to be much sought-after is the BenRiach 1998 Cask No. 5171, bottled at 57.9% ABV, uniquely triple-distilled with Pedro Ximenez Sherry Finish in which vibrant oak spice, orange bitters and dark chocolate give exceptional depth, with stewed barley and orchard fruits softly rolling though the long, ever-changing palate.

Other expressions in the range boast the taste of "Demerara and boiled sweets", "luxurious chocolate and roasted coffee beans", "rich Tarte Tatin" and even "fairground candy apple".

The 14 new BenRiach single cask bottlings details are as follows:

• BenRiach 1976 cask no. 529 / 37 year old / Bourbon Barrel / Sherry Cask Matured, Bourbon Finish / 44.2% ABV
   
• BenRiach 1976 cask no. 5463 / 37 year old / Bourbon Barrel / Peated, Sherry Cask Matured, Bourbon Finish / 51.9% ABV
   
• BenRiach 1977 cask no. 7114 / 37 year old / Hogshead / 48.3% ABV
   
• BenRiach 1977 cask no. 1891 / 37 year old / Dark Rum Barrel / Dark Rum Finish / 43.2% ABV
   
• BenRiach 1978 cask no. 5469 / 36 year old / Bourbon Barrel / Sherry Cask Matured, Bourbon Finish / 41.7% ABV
   
• BenRiach 1984 cask no. 488 / 29 year old / Hogshead / Peated / 51.1% ABV
   
• BenRiach 1984 cask no. 4051 / 29 year old / Tawny Port Hogshead / Peated, Tawny Port Finish / 50.3% ABV
   
• BenRiach 1994 cask no. 1703 / 20 year old / Tawny Port Hogshead / Tawny Port Finish / 55.6% ABV
   
• BenRiach 1994 cask no. 5626 / 20 year old / Madeira Hogshead / Peated, Madeira Finish / 53.2% ABV
   
• BenRiach 1996 cask no. 7176 / 18 year old / Pedro Ximenez Sherry Puncheon / Pedro Ximenez Sherry Finish / 52.4% ABV
   
• BenRiach 1997 cask no. 4435 / 16 year old / Marsala Hogshead / Marsala finish / 56.1% ABV
   
• BenRiach 1998 cask no. 5171 / 16 year old / Pedro Ximenez Sherry Puncheon / Triple Distilled, Pedro Ximenez Sherry finish / 57.9% ABV
   
• BenRiach 2000 cask no. 38131 / 14 year old / % ABV
   
• BenRiach 2005 cask no. 3781 / 9 year old / Virgin American Oak Hogshead / Peated, Virgin American Oak finish / 58.7% ABV
   

All 14 whiskies will be available from whisky shops such as The Whisky Exchange from today.
 

• UK Shops
   
• USA Shops
   
• European Shops
  

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