!! SOLD OUT !!
The twelfth of our series of “Annual Single Cask Bottlings” was from BenRiach distillery here is Speyside.
After nosing and tasting several cask samples from many distilleries, we eventually chose this cask, at the distillery.
It was distilled at BenRiach distillery on Monday 19th October 1987.
Cask No 5711 was bottled on Monday 15th October 2012 at it’s natural cask strength of 52.0% alc/vol. Originally from a sherry butt, it was reracked in summer 2011 into a bourbon barrel for the last 12 months of it’s maturation. The angels agreed to let us have 257 bottles (700ml).
Maggie Riegler of the Greenhall Gallery, here in Craigellachie, was once again (for the 12th consecutive year) commissioned to paint a picture specifically for the front label which depicts yet another different view of the Highlander Inn to that of pervious years.
Our true friend, the original Michael Jackson ~ “Beer Hunter, Whisky Chaser” ~ always wrote the tasting notes for each bottling of ours until his untimely demise in 2007. From 2008 onwards, we decided to invite a different person each year to write the tasting notes for us. The criteria is that they must have a great reputation, and truly respected throughout the whole “whisky world”.
In 2008 we were delighted that Hideo Yamaoka, Japan’s foremost Malt Scotch Whisky “otaku” and the translator of Michael’s books into Japanese wrote the notes for our bottling of Highland Park.
John Hansell, the creator, Publisher, and Editor of “Malt Advocate”, the USA’s leading magazine for the whisky enthusiast agreed to write his comments for our 2009 bottling of Bowmore.
Serge Valentin, one of the most prolific whisky aficionados on the internet, and a member of the “Malt Maniacs” agreed to write his comments for our 2010 bottling of GlenDronach.
Charlie MacLean, a prolific author on Scotch Whisky, kindly agreed to write the tasting comments for the 2011 bottling of Bunnahabhain.
This year we’re absolutely delighted that Mark Watt has written the tasting notes.
Mark, whose first “real job” was with Duncan in the Quaich Bar at the Craigellachie Hotel when he was just 18 years old and is now General Manager at Wm Cadenhead Ltd and having previously spent 8 years as Export Sales Director with Duncan Taylor & Co.
Mark is a true Speysider having been born and brought up on The Macallan Estate – I wonder where he first became interested in Single Malts?.
In 2009 he was recognised by the worldwide whisky industry with the award of “Young Whisky Ambassador of the Year” at the annual award ceremony, for his work in promoting whisky throughout the workd. This was the first time this award had been given.
As always, included with each bottle is a unique Certificate of Ownership with the same number as the bottle, that can be framed and hung on your study / office / drawing room wall.
Again, each label was painstakingly applied to each bottle individually and then hand numbered by Duncan Elphick, with help from Fraser ~ so it really is a personal bottling with none of this automatic labeling & numbering!
It is still currently available by the nip in our whisky bar (25ml) for £15.00.
It was also initially available in Japan, The Netherlands and Taiwan. However these markets have now almost sold out.