Benrinnes 16 Years Old 2006 Cask #6137 (Alistair Walker Whisky Company)

Benrinnes 16 Years Old 2006 Cask #6137 (Alistair Walker Whisky Company) is a 16 year old single cask Benrinnes from the Speyside distillery, drawn from a single ex-Moscatel cask, distilled during the partial triple distillation era at Benrinnes. This release was bottled by the Alistair Walker Whisky Company, the independent founded by Alistair Walker (formerly of BenRiach and GlenDronach) for the Infrequent Flyers and related single cask ranges. The release was distilled in 2006 and bottled in 2022, with a small outturn of 282 bottles, for the European market, at 57% ABV.

Benrinnes was founded in 1826 by Peter MacKenzie at the foot of Ben Rinnes hill in Speyside, with the current site rebuilt after a flood destroyed the original in 1829. The Edward family sold the distillery to John Dewar in 1922, and it has remained in the Diageo group lineage since. From 1974 to 2007 Benrinnes ran an unusual partial triple distillation system across six stills (two wash, two intermediate, two spirit), with the feints splitting and recombining in a way that has been compared to a two-and-a-half pass distillation. Vapours from all stills are condensed through worm tubs kept at very cold temperatures, restricting copper contact and locking in the meaty, sulphury new make character that has made Benrinnes a stylistic neighbour of Mortlach, Dailuaine and Cragganmore.

The ex-Moscatel cask previously held a sweet white fortified wine from the Moscatel grape, which carries forward floral terpene compounds (linalool, geraniol) alongside residual sugars. The result is a distinctive grape-skin, honeysuckle and orange marmalade lift over Benrinnes' savoury new make character.