Benrinnes 1974 - 21 Year Old - Rare Malts 60.4%

Founded in 1826, Benrinnes is a traditional Speyside distillery that joined the portfolio of Diageo forerunner DCL in 1925. Benrinnes was completely rebuilt in the 1950s and expanded in 1966 with two wash stills and four spirit stills for partial triple distillation. Since 2007 this has reverted to double distillation with each wash still now supplying two spirit stills. Benrinnes still uses worm tub condensers, which help give the distillery’s spirit a heavy, meaty character ideal for blending or for extended maturation in sherry casks.

Benrinnes’ importance as a blending malt means official bottlings are rare. The popular sherried Flora & Fauna 15-year-old first appeared in 1991 and was followed by an excellent Rare Malts edition in 1996 and a handful of subsequent Special Releases and other one-off bottlings. Independent Benrinnes is thankfully abundant, with some classic old vintages by Cadenhead’s, Gordon & MacPhail and the SMWS among others.

Distillery bottlings are, as the name suggests, bottled by or for the distillery from which the whisky has originated and are thus often referred to as Official Bottlings or OBs. Distillery bottlings are generally more desirable for collectors and usually fetch higher prices at auction than independent bottlings. They are officially-endorsed versions of the whisky from a particular distillery and are therefore considered the truest expression of the distillery’s character.

This ideal of the distillery character is regarded so seriously by the distilleries and brand owners that casks of whisky that are considered to vary too far from the archetype are frequently sold on to whisky brokers and independent bottlers. When this happens, it is often with the proviso that the distillery’s name is not allowed to be used when the cask is bottled for fear of diminishing or damaging the distillery’s character and status.