The view from the Golden Promise offers the opportunity to discuss the bottles on display at finespirits.auction from a new perspective, thanks to the experts at the Golden Promise Whisky Bar, Stanislas Kindroz and Salvatore Mannino.
SALVATORE MANNINO
PORT ELLEN 20 years, 1978, RARE MALT, 60.9% ABV
For whiskey lovers, the Rare Malts range is without question an unmissable collection. Over its decade of life (1995-2005), it offered bottlings from distilleries that have remained confidential and anonymous - even to this day. It is in this range that we will find the rare official bottlings of distilleries that have since closed their doors for the final time. As for this Port Ellen, it is one of the very first official editions (if we make the exception of the extremely rare bottling produced especially for the visit of Queen Elizabeth II in 1980), and just so happens to be one of my favourites - all bottlings considered - because it reflects the typical Port Ellen identity; one foot on the ground and one in the sea.
The nose takes us immediately to the coast with its sea spray, the peat is measured. Then citrus fruits - lemon, with a balance of sweet and bitter - herbaceous notes of gentian tree roots, sea asparagus and wild fennel, as well as sleet. Then we return to the peat, walking us past a barn, embodiment of the pastoral. The liquorice caramel reveals a more indulgent side. The mouth is rich and lively! The smoke of the peat coats the notes of seaweed with black pepper. Mid-palate thickens, becoming oily and strongly reminiscent of the sea. Medicinal (homoeopathic ointment), it is refreshing with notes of peppermint. The finish is long, peaty and spiced. A wonderful Port Ellen all in all.
BENRINNES 21 years, 1974, RARE MALT, 60.4% ABV
Situated at the foot of the 840-metre-high mountain from which it takes its name, the whisky produced at the Benrinnes distillery has rarely been bottled as its own creation by its owners (Diageo), the result of it’s iconic Speyside profile - fleshy and sulphurous - which makes it an ideal component for blends instead. Created in 1826, before being completely destroyed by flooding in 1829, the distillery was relocated a few kilometres away to its current location. But fate took its toll on Benrinnes in 1896, and disaster struck again, a fire destroying large parts of the establishment, requiring major restoration. In 1956, it was entirely reconstructed, with nothing left behind of the old structures. Since then a partial triple distillation, like that of Springbank, was used until the first decade of the 2000s. This Rare Malt edition is the second official bottling, after 15 years, released in the Flora & Fauna range of 1991.
The nose is round and fresh, producing scents of chopped herbs with fruity notes such as white plum. We also detect here light sulphur notes, signature of the robust character of the distillate. The damp straw and cereals transport us into the fields, just after harvest. Finally, peppery poultry stock maintains the pastoral atmosphere and solidifies the unusual profile of this whisky. The palate is lively, powerful and spiced but the high alcohol level is well-integrated. The touch is bold and the herbaceous notes add fluidity to the body. A perfect balance between the farmhouse character of the nose and the meat broth aspect. The finish is long, spiced - of pepper and juniper berries - and malted. An astonishingly strong personality! It's easy to see why Benrinnes is so sought-after by master blenders, given its solid, generous frame.
