Code
Distillery
Benrinnes
Name
Mid-Winter Celebrations
Producer
SMWS
Region
Speyside
Age
12 years
ABV
56.6%
Bottler Type
Independent
Category
Scotch
Flavor Profile
Deep, Rich & Dried Fruits
The whisky presents aromas reminiscent of mince pies, mulling spices, nutmeg, and treacle tart, with additional notes of red cabbage sauerkraut, chilli, and ginger developing upon aeration.
It reveals complex flavours of lebkuchen and moist ginger cake alongside chocolate marzipan truffles, with sautéed buttery mushrooms and red wine jus complementing a creamy, lightly smoked paprika character.
This cask-strength expression, matured nine years in ex-bourbon before finishing in first-fill American oak PX sherry hogshead, leaves a lingering impression of warming spice and rich, savoury depth.
Up front warning, we tasted this sample just before Christmas! The aroma reminded us of mince pies, mulling spices, nutmeg and treacle tarts. The taste was no surprise either, lebkuchen, moist ginger cake, chocolate marzipan truffles but also sautéed buttery mushrooms and red wine jus over duck. A bit more spice on the nose after reduction as we prepared red cabbage sauerkraut with chilli and ginger as well as German potato dumplings. On the palate a creamy lightly smoked paprika sauce now came to the fore in which we dipped our birria tacos. Following nine years in an ex-bourbon hogshead, we transferred this whisky into a first fill American oak PX sherry hogshead.