Benrinnes 21 Years Old 1991 36.70 Rosewater flavoured Turkish Delight (54.2%, SMWS, Refill HH, 287 Bottles, 2013)

• Benrinnes Distillery
• Scotch Malt Whisky Society Cask 36.70
• 54.2% ABV
• £77.60
• Score: 86/100

What they say:

Cask 36.70 Rosewater flavoured Turkish Delight

The aroma neat was like stepping into a florist slightly damp and cool plenty of cut stems and green foliage and an array of floral aromas. Only with time sweeter notes of lemon cheese cake and honey orange drizzle cake arrive. The taste fresh fruity zesty like lime leaves or freshly squeezed lemon juice and in the aftertaste barley sugar sweets and creamy caramel pudding. With water spicy and floral aromas are dominant but there is an added deep sweet note of a glass of cool ice wine accompanied by rose petal chocolate truffles. Extremely delicate on the palate peach syrup and rosewater flavoured Turkish Delight.

Colour: Buttercup in the sun, Date Distilled: 29th November 1991, Age: 21 Years, Cask: Second fill ex bourbon hogshead, Outturn: 287 bottles

What I say:

Sampled at SMWS Queen street on 2nd March 2015.

Colour:

Light gold (5/20), medium-sized droplet tears with fine legs

Nose:

Floral rose, zingy and spicy ginger, cereal barley grist, fruity citrus, green/cut flower stems

Taste:

Rose and Lemon Turkish Delight, citric lemon barley sugars, cereal barley malt, woodland honey, spicy ginger and cinnamon hints, flowery/floral perfume, pineapple cube sweeties

Finish:

Short-medium length finish with a gentle floral rose with honey and lemon

Overall:

Another Dram picked purely on SMWS tasting notes. I have started to come round to Paula’s love of floral rose flavours. Generally I stay away from too much Lavender due to its close association to soapy flavour/texture, but do quite like Violet (parma violet sweeties!) in my whisky. There have been a few recently that capture this Rose with touches of lemon and also a flowery and barley flour nature that is just so reminiscent of classic Turkish Delight. This dram was backed by plenty of sugary sweetness and touches of woody/herbal spices indicative of its age also. Yum!