Benrinnes 1997-2018 - 21 Year Old - Cadenheads Gold Label - Single Cask

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.

In 1842 George Duncan established a wine merchant and distillery agency business in Aberdeen. Duncan was joined in the early 1850s by his brother-in-law William Cadenhead, who took over the business after Duncan’s death in 1858, changing the company’s name to Wm. Cadenhead. When Cadenhead died in 1904 the company passed to his nephew Robert Duthie, who developed the spirits side of the business.

Duthie died suddenly in 1931, and employee Ann Oliver was put in charge of Cadenhead’s. Sadly, Oliver’s tenure ended in financial difficulty and on her retirement in 1972 the business was forced to sell its entire inventory. Cadenhead’s was acquired soon afterwards by J & A Mitchell, proprietors of Springbank distillery, who relocated the business to Campbeltown. Cadenhead’s has flourished under Mitchell’s stewardship, releasing many legendary single malt bottlings in the 1980s and 1990s and now has outlets in Edinburgh and London as well as Campbeltown.