11/09/2026 Benrinnes

There is no actual connection to the date, so I will not try to shoehorn one in.

Benrinnes 15yo (43%, OB imported by DBBY, b. ca.2026): Nose: it has much less sulphur than when the bottle was opened, and more shoe polish. It is a Sherry maturation, that is plain to sniff, Oloroso, probably, with a whisper of musk, yeast, dry wood (windfall from last year) and pickled Alfonso olives. It is as if chocolate cake from a supermarket tried to punch through the surface, but shoe polish never lets it. In fact, that becomes polished leather in no time. The second nose has a bold sangria in which soaked orange segments and apricots jostle cassia bark. It is not mulled wine, though! Mouth: a lukewarm attack, with stewed cherries and lingonberries, Alfonso olives in brine, musky compote and smashed Crimson grapes. Chewing pushes that grape touch to the top, perhaps with a pinch of grated cherry-flavoured Dextro NRG. The second sip seems to suffer from the dilution a little. We do get lemon gums and sugar-free Haribo bananas. The sides of the tongue catch caramelised-orange juice. Finish: it feels watery and brief, for a second. The flavours do appear a fraction of a second later, with smashed strawberries, a spoonful of lukewarm lingonberry compote and a lick of cat's hair. Yes, it has a tiny animal touch that leads to melted chocolate. The second gulp reveals ghosts of chocolate and Seville orange, as well as blush-orange segments. That brings a soft, fruit-related bitterness that works quite nicely. This is unpretentious, yet also not very exciting. 6/10 (Thanks for the sample, PSc)