OB 15yo 43% Flora & Fauna - Benrinnes

[Willie JJ]

Benrinnes 15yo F&F OB

Nose: I'm sloshing a dram around a Glencairn glass and sniffing. I see what you mean Nick. There is sulphur there. It's not the burnt match kind though it seems more like raw sulphur; like it used to smell in the classroom. Its masking the aromas of the whisky. Its really annoying, because they are just there below the surface, just not strong enough to allow you put your finger on what they are. I can't help but feel that what went into the cask must have been really good. Hmm, I'm giving it lots of air and the sulphur is fading a little. There's a lovely grapeyness emerging. Keeps falling back below the muck though; it just can't fight its way through.
Palate: I'll try a sip. Aaar, the problem is that every time the dram emerges the sulphur asserts itself and its coating my palate in a quite horrible way. This is dreadful, not least because the little peeks that you get of the underlying whisky are excellent, ... just before you get the Yuk! sensation.

This will be a hard dram to drink. But its criminal, because I reckon without the sulphur this would have been sensational. There are really great micro-moments as it coats the tongue and I think that if you are willing to keep forcing it on your senses it is possible to detect some delicious breakfast cereal in sherry notes. The price is high though. It may take a couple of drams of something cask strength and familiar to wash away the muck and recalibrate my senses.

Note: this was a sample from a bottle owned by C57, which he eventually poured down the drain. I suspect it was a rogue bottle but it was certainly rubbish. Very disappointing, because Benrinnes is generally very good.

[brendram]

I had this one last night and would agree with the notes, though I didn't find the sulphur as irritating as you. This one is a sherry bomb with sulphur.

[MacDeffe]

We should open a discussion of the different kind of sulphurs !

I recall this Benrinnes as being of the sour socks type of whisky!

MAcdeffe