Benrinnes 21 Years old Rare Malts Selection 60.4% 1974

Professional reviews

Serge Valentin (89)

Right, it’s not often that a Rare Malt would be the lightest whisky within a flight. Not sure this was still from a single cask, as other early RMs used to be unless I’m mistaken. Well, probably not, I’ve seen bottles sporting numbers in the high 3000s. Colour: light gold. Nose: harsher yet, as it appears, certainly grassier, with a medicinal side that wasn’t to be found in the SMWS. Camphor, eucalyptus (poor koalas in Oz, did you see that!)… Then all those lovely bready smells. Not sure the distillate has changed much between 1974 and 1997. With water: less fruity than the SMWS, more mentholy, more on grasses and herbs. Mint sauce. Mouth (neat): not too far from the 1997, but it does have more medicinal notes once again, as well as more menthol. Which, I theory, should mean it’s ‘better’. Let’s see… With water: perfect! Oils and citrus, plus touches of salt, marrow, olives, marmalade… Finish: very long, vertical, really very lemony now, but always with oils and cough syrups in the aftertaste. Comments: not the first time we’re noticing that Benrinnes could be rather stunning, as these two very ‘natural’ versions go to show. But once again, it’s no sexy dram and it will need your time. I rather hate to say this, but there, it’s ‘probably not whisky for beginners’. Yeah right, no single Rare Malt was anyway. Gosh we’re missing the Rare Malts!

Words of Whisky (91)

BOW (89)