Speyside distillery Benriach is adding two new 40-year-old whiskies to its luxury portfolio: The Forty and The Forty Octave Cask Matured.
The Forty was created with a stock of highly peated spirit distilled in the 1970s – something of an anomaly for Benriach at that time – and is one of the oldest peated releases from a Speyside distillery to date.
Launching as a travel-retail exclusive, with only 134 bottles available, The Forty Octave Cask Matured was finished in octave casks created from the staves of refill and first-fill ex-bourbon casks.
Rachel Barrie, Benriach's master blender, said: "Fine bourbon casks have gradually developed exquisite notes of honeyed pomelo and lush orchard fruits to create Benriach The Forty. Over the decades of maturation, the smoky character of peated Benriach spirit refines and mellows, transforming into ripe fruit sweetness. This intricate character is interwoven with dark notes of chocolate, rich plum and smooth walnut from port casks sourced from the Douro Valley.
"Crafted from the staves of refill and first fill American oak bourbon casks, the octaves casks used for Benriach The Forty Octave Cask Matured create a sublime interplay of indulgent orchard and dark fruits, with a flawless silken oak finish."
From June, Benriach The Forty (43.5% ABV) will be available as an ongoing release in specialist retailers globally (RRP £3,200), and Benriach The Forty Octave Cask Matured (51.5% ABV) will be available exclusively in travel retail at select international airports (RRP £3,800).
Both expressions have previously only been available through online luxury wine and spirits marketplace Blockbar as part of a bespoke non-fungible token (NFT) twinset.
The Forty was created with a stock of highly peated spirit distilled in the 1970s – something of an anomaly for Benriach at that time – and is one of the oldest peated releases from a Speyside distillery to date.
Launching as a travel-retail exclusive, with only 134 bottles available, The Forty Octave Cask Matured was finished in octave casks created from the staves of refill and first-fill ex-bourbon casks.
Benriach The Forty Octave Cask Matured
Rachel Barrie, Benriach's master blender, said: "Fine bourbon casks have gradually developed exquisite notes of honeyed pomelo and lush orchard fruits to create Benriach The Forty. Over the decades of maturation, the smoky character of peated Benriach spirit refines and mellows, transforming into ripe fruit sweetness. This intricate character is interwoven with dark notes of chocolate, rich plum and smooth walnut from port casks sourced from the Douro Valley.
"Crafted from the staves of refill and first fill American oak bourbon casks, the octaves casks used for Benriach The Forty Octave Cask Matured create a sublime interplay of indulgent orchard and dark fruits, with a flawless silken oak finish."
From June, Benriach The Forty (43.5% ABV) will be available as an ongoing release in specialist retailers globally (RRP £3,200), and Benriach The Forty Octave Cask Matured (51.5% ABV) will be available exclusively in travel retail at select international airports (RRP £3,800).
Both expressions have previously only been available through online luxury wine and spirits marketplace Blockbar as part of a bespoke non-fungible token (NFT) twinset.