“It’s Graining Again”
Country: Scotland
Region: Speyside
Brand: Stronachie Small Batch
Distilled at: Benrinnes
Bottled by: A.D. Rattray Ltd.
Distilled at: Benrinnes
Bottled by: A.D. Rattray Ltd.
Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age: 18 Years
Age: 18 Years
ABV: 46%
Chill-Filtration: Probably
Whisky Review # 606
Buying Advice: 😑 Neutral. Price is okay. Malt is okay but forgettable.
Colour: Pale Gold (Artificially Coloured)
Chill-Filtration: Probably
Whisky Review # 606
Buying Advice: 😑 Neutral. Price is okay. Malt is okay but forgettable.
Colour: Pale Gold (Artificially Coloured)
Nose: Based on the Colour and the Aromas I believe that this Stronachie mainly matured in Ex-Bourbon casks. There are some light Refill Ex-Sherry cask notes as well but they are a minority. My first impressions are Toasted Barley, Butter Kekse (German Butter Biscuits), Grass, Wax, Heather/Honey, Vanilla and some Citric notes (Lemon). The Alcohol is not fully integrated so avoid sticking your Nose in the middle of the Glass. After a while I get some Orange, Caramel, Milk Chocolate, Stone Fruit and Banana Ice Cream. Then light Spices like Pepper and Ginger and a hint of Dusty Charred Oak. On the Nose, this Stronachie is a bit simple and slightly boring but not totally unpleasant. The casks weren't very active ones if you ask me. It's a bit like the Cardhu 12 Years I reviewed earlier.
Palate: Sweet with some Bitter, Herbal and Spicy notes. I find Sweet Barley, Vanilla, Toffee, Buttered Toast, Banana Ice Cream, Stone Fruit, Heather/Honey, Grass and Hay, Citrus (Lemon and Orange), Nuts, Wax, Dusty Road, Pepper, Cloves, Cinnamon, Ginger and hints of Milk Chocolate and Charred Oak.
Finish: Light and on the short side. Mainly Sweet but with a light Bitterness and some Mineral tones as well. The Barley plays its important part right until the end. I also find Peach flavoured Yogurt, Brown Sugar, Milk Chocolate, Vanilla, Honey, Orange, Pepper, Cinnamon, Ginger, Menthol, Aniseed, light Licorice and Lemon-Tea.
I added a little Water and the Nose is basically reduced to Barley. Palate and Finish become quite Floral and you'll get lots of Fresh Mint in the Finish. You can carefully experiment with a little Water in this case. But be careful not to drown the Spirit.
Rating: 82.5
I added a little Water and the Nose is basically reduced to Barley. Palate and Finish become quite Floral and you'll get lots of Fresh Mint in the Finish. You can carefully experiment with a little Water in this case. But be careful not to drown the Spirit.
Rating: 82.5
Nose: 20.5 - Taste: 20.5 - Finish: 21 - Overall: 20.5
General Remarks:
Stronachie was a Highland distillery that was active between 1890 and 1928. The Scottish agent for this whisky, the Independent bottler A.D. Rattray Ltd. has launched a small range under the Stronachie name. This Single Malt is actually distilled at Benrinnes, close to Aberlour. A.D. Rattray purchased a 1904 bottle of Stronachie and compared it to lots of samples from many Highland distilleries. Benrinnes came closest to the original Stronachie Aroma and Flavour profile. The Stronachie 18 Years was launched in 2010 and matured in a mix of Refill Ex-Bourbon and Refill Ex-Sherry casks. It is not really expensive and is mainly priced in the 40-70 US Dollar range depending on where you live (March 2017). The other Stronachie in the range is the 10 Years old.
The Benrinnes Distillery was founded in 1826 by Peter McKenzie. It was destroyed twice in its early years, once by a flood (1829) and a fire (1896). The present distillery complex was built in 1955/1956. The current owner is Diageo and almost all of the production is destined for Blends like Johnnie Walker, J&B and Crawford's 3 Star.
Drinking Experience Neat: Good but a little Boring!
Conclusion: I can see why the Benrinnes is a good component for Blends. It has lots of Creamy Cereals, a little Fruit, a little Spice, a bit of Citrus, a few Herbs and some Floral notes. A reliable partner! On the other hand none of those Aromas and Flavours really stand out with the exception perhaps of the Barley. As a result, the Stronachie/Benrinnes is an easy going dram but without much depth and personality. Likable but boring at the same time. It's not expensive for an 18 Year old but always remember that (relatively) low prices won't buy you first class casks. In my opinion this Stronachie suffers from the use of many 3rd or 4th Refill casks. It could have been a better Singe Malt but as it stands it is most certainly drinkable but also extremely forgettable.
General Remarks:
Stronachie was a Highland distillery that was active between 1890 and 1928. The Scottish agent for this whisky, the Independent bottler A.D. Rattray Ltd. has launched a small range under the Stronachie name. This Single Malt is actually distilled at Benrinnes, close to Aberlour. A.D. Rattray purchased a 1904 bottle of Stronachie and compared it to lots of samples from many Highland distilleries. Benrinnes came closest to the original Stronachie Aroma and Flavour profile. The Stronachie 18 Years was launched in 2010 and matured in a mix of Refill Ex-Bourbon and Refill Ex-Sherry casks. It is not really expensive and is mainly priced in the 40-70 US Dollar range depending on where you live (March 2017). The other Stronachie in the range is the 10 Years old.
The Benrinnes Distillery was founded in 1826 by Peter McKenzie. It was destroyed twice in its early years, once by a flood (1829) and a fire (1896). The present distillery complex was built in 1955/1956. The current owner is Diageo and almost all of the production is destined for Blends like Johnnie Walker, J&B and Crawford's 3 Star.
Drinking Experience Neat: Good but a little Boring!
Conclusion: I can see why the Benrinnes is a good component for Blends. It has lots of Creamy Cereals, a little Fruit, a little Spice, a bit of Citrus, a few Herbs and some Floral notes. A reliable partner! On the other hand none of those Aromas and Flavours really stand out with the exception perhaps of the Barley. As a result, the Stronachie/Benrinnes is an easy going dram but without much depth and personality. Likable but boring at the same time. It's not expensive for an 18 Year old but always remember that (relatively) low prices won't buy you first class casks. In my opinion this Stronachie suffers from the use of many 3rd or 4th Refill casks. It could have been a better Singe Malt but as it stands it is most certainly drinkable but also extremely forgettable.
Jan van den Ende March 30, 2017 and June 24,2017
