Let’s see if it can surprise me and that hopefully in a positive way

Appearance:
Color: clear Gold. Medium oily as the streaks on the glass flow down semi slow.

Nose: 89/100 points
Very fruity, floral start. The 51% ABV are very well integrated. Smells like a meadow full of flowers and herbs. Lots of honey with a hint of thyme. On the fruits side I get some oranges and apricots. But over all the floral and herbal notes stand out. Lovely nose. Reminds me of end of spring or an early young summer.

Taste: 90/100 points
sweet start which turns quickly very fruity with a slightly noticeable fruit sourness which btw harmonies very well. A lot of herbs come again and fill the mouth with tons of flavors. Here also the oak kicks in. but not too tart. A bit spicy with ginger and a tiny hint of nutmeg. To the end after a long time in the mouth it becomes very oily and the bitterness is more present, but definitely not unpleasant.

Finish: 90/100 points
wow, nice fruity sweet finish with a lot of herbs again. Fantastic finish. A bit caramel I notice this time and a lot of honey again. This time the honey notes are without that thyme flavor. the herbs longer very long inside the mouth.

Conclusion:
the force is strong with this one. Many of the aspects and flavors of this Whisky fulfilled my expectations to 100%. That is an absolutely lovely Whisky. The fruity and especially the herbal flavors are overwhelming. Those are so intense and make this Whisky in my eyes very special. Wish I could get my hands on a big bottle. Perfect summer Whisky imho.

Overall I give this Whisky: 90/100 WhiskyYoda points

here are some more detailed bottle information:

Brand	Benrinnes	Cask/Batch#	11724+11726
Series	Cask Strength Collection	Vintage	28.10.1996
Region	Scotland / Speyside	Bottled	01.08.2018
Bottler	Signatory Vintage	Age	21yo
Type	Single Malt	Non-Cillfiltered	yes
Casks	Hogsheads	Natural color	yes
ABV	51%	Whiskybase ID:	119998

Let’s see if it can surprise me and that hopefully in a positive way

Appearance:
Color: dark Amber (Amber 2). Semi oily as the streaks on the glass flow down semi slow. The Whisky is also very clear.

Nose: 87/100 points
The first thing I get is the alcohol sting, but that I expected due to the high ABV. Let’s blow into the glass to remove this sting a bit.
Ahh that helped a bit.
Now I get a lot of dried fruits, raisins, slightly orange peels and fermented fruits. A bit later the herbs and some mint come through as well as some oak and a bit leather.
It definitely needs time to open up. Far in the background I get some Vanilla and nuts.

Later on, for the 3rd sip I added a bit water to it.
Here in the nose the water doesn’t do that much to the flavors. The sting of the alcohol is getting less, and the flavors are slightly sweeter. But other flavors in the nose are not impacted by adding the water.

Taste: 88/100 points
On the palate it starts, oh wonder, very strong. But strong sweet with plenty of dried fruits, raisins, oranges, mint and herbs. This time much more intense than in the nose. A bit later the oak shows up and the leather as well. The vanilla flavors also come again and are now stronger as well. Same accounts for the fermented fruits which are quite intense and let it appear a bit bitter to the end.

As mentions in before I added later on a bit water.
This and a bit more time open up this whisky a lot on the palate.
Not the sweet notes getting even more strong, the fermented fruits are only left in the background, and a lot of chocolate shows itself. Also, the alcohol is, of course, lesser than before and therefore not this burning on the togue. Now it is really pleasant to drink.

Finish: 86/100 points
Strong in the finish as well as bitter in the first moment. I assume it comes from the flavors of the fermented fruits. But it is not that unpleasant and bearable. It lasts very long. Besides the fermented fruit there are also the dried fruits again. From the other flavors there are not many to be found.

With the added water however, the bitterness in the finish is gone and also here the sweet chocolate flavor dominates the picture. Even the length is a bit reduces by adding the water. But it is much more complex now and was worth the water playing.

Conclusion:
Usually, I drink my Whisky neat, but this is one of those Whisky where I recommend adding water to it if you don’t like the bitterness it brings with it neat.
With water and plenty of time (at least 30 minutes) it will release a lot of flavors and becomes quite complex for that young age.

Without water however it is more bitter and very strong. specially in the nose. So, you will find less flavors in the nose since the alcohol is not that well integrated.
Thats why I recommend playing a bit with water. Potential is there enough for sure.

Overall, a nice Whisky. I like it.

Overall I give this Whisky: 87/100 WhiskyYoda points

here are some more detailed bottle information:

Brand	Ben Nevis	Cask/Batch#	257
Series	Vintage Collection	Vintage	08DEC2014
Region	Scotland / Speyside	Bottled	09MAY2024
Bottler	Signatory Vintage (SV)	Age	9yo
Type	Single Malt	Non-Cillfiltered	yes
Casks	2nd Fill Sherry Butt	Natural color	yes
ABV	59.1%	Whiskybase ID:	261047

Remarks:
not bad but not particularly outstanding either.
From the nose to the palate to the finish, there is a bit of chaos between the flavors.
Adding a few drops of water doesn’t change that.

Overall I rate this Whisky:

• Nose:
  Malt, grain, floral notes, vanilla, light fruits, slightly pungent alcohol, some herbs. A little lime shows up later.
  
  
• Taste:
  Herbs, lime, slightly sweet, floral notes, malt, caramel, grains. Later slightly peppery and slightly oily
  
  
• Finish:
  lots of malt and grain with some bright fruit. Strong and warming.
  

Review written on 2024-02-19