.benromach - sassicaia - 2007

The Benromach distillery in the North of the Speyside region have a series of single malts which have been maturing in first fill ex-Bourbon casks, after which they have received a finish of several months in a another wood-type - their Wood Finish series. This specific whisky was distilled in 2007 and bottled in 2016, where the finish was a full 24 months in an ex-Sassicaia cask, a red wine from the Bolgheri region in Tuscany. You do the math...

45% abv, €45

single malt, non-chill filtered, natural colour

Nose: tobacco leaves, sweet, vanilla pods, marsmallows, berries, ripe raspberries, strawberries, mullberries, a hint of cold charcoal, slate 

Palate: sweet, vanilla pods, honey, floral, honeysuckle, heather, spicy, white pepper, berries, ripe raspberries, citrus, lime juice, milk chocolate

Finish: medium long, spicy, white pepper, sweet, berries, milk chocolate, a touch of the cold coals again
Mark: +++/++ 

Conclusion: A nice pink / red-ish hue, but not too much colour added during the 24 months. I had expected more, but then again, I couldn't care less about colour, normally. Other than the colour, if you like your (slightly smoky) Benromachs and you have a little sweet tooth, this might just be your thing. Good dramming, this.

More info: Limited to only 3.500 bottles.

,many thanks to friend Werner for this sample