Benrinnes – 1996 Best Dram Hogshead #11675 (70cl, 50.5%)

This Benrinnes from 1996 is a single malt from a single hogshead, bottled at 50.5% in a 70cl bottle under the Best Dram name. Benrinnes sits in the heart of Speyside, at 250 metres on the northern slope of the mountain of the same name. It was founded in 1835 as Lyne of Ruthrie. Its stills follow an unusual route: the low wines from the wash still are split, going first to spirit still No. 2 and then to No. 1, and that distillate is distilled once more, a very particular form of triple distillation. The water comes from the Scurran and Rowentree burns.