Benrinnes 11 Year Old Single Malt - Artist Collective 2010

Intimately linked to each other by a skillfully woven malty bond, the three stages of tasting this remarkable Benrinnes are nonetheless entities in their own right. Thus, the intensely floral character of the nose and the abundantly fruity character of the mouth precede a wonderfully chocolatey, roasted and spicy finish which also shines with its maturity and its freshness of expression.

TASTING NOTE

Color: mahogany.

Nose: airy, elegant. Absolutely remarkable, the first nose reveals notes of marmalade, rose petal, mauve lilac and very ripe mango. When aired, the nose becomes spicy (pepper, cloves), camphor and even more floral (freesia, hyacinth, lime). Gradually, candy sugar and a thin layer of caramel cover the surface of the aromatic palette. Apricots and quince jelly arrive in high point.

Palate: racy, full of liveliness. Starting exactly where the nose left off, the attack on the palate also reveals the beauty of a limpid and fruity distillate (pear, kirsch). In the mid-palate, flavors of frangipane, cocoa and tobacco spread harmoniously around the palate. In the aftertaste, red fruits (raspberry, strawberry) compete in intensity with squares of dark chocolate.

Overall: long, fluffy. Very slightly tannic, the start of the finish is marked by notes of prune, toast and beeswax. Sprinkled with nutmeg and chocolate chips, the finish also evokes a very high quality red tea. Radiant with herbaceous freshness, the retro-olfaction returns to the tobacco notes of the mid-palate (Havana in combustion). The empty glass is malted, roasted (coffee, tonka bean) and resinous (thuja, cedar).