An Sgwhisky Exclusive: Generations, A Singapore Exclusive

Dear readers of sgwhisky! Today, sgwhisky is proud to present to you An Sgwhisky Exclusive thanks to our great friends at Drinks fellas, a leading distributor of whiskies and other spirits in Singapore. This exclusive is a first look at a new bottling from BenRiach that has been bottled from a cask specially selected by Jack Ong, Brand Manager of Drinks fellas for the Singapore market! Here at sgwhisky, the focus has always been Singapore and its whisky scene, and what better way than to highlight a whisky that was bottled specially for our beautiful country!

Sgwhisky was lucky enough to be present at Drinks fellas yesterday to have a first look and taste of this unique BenRiach bottling, which has been named 'Generations, A Singapore Exclusive' to commemorate the Gen Y Singaporeans that were born in the mid to late 1980s, and the cask that this expression was drawn from was an aptly aged 22 year old 1988 vintage. Whilst this expression has yet to be made available to the commercial market, sgwhisky can reveal that there were only 269 bottles that were drawn from this single cask bottling, hence this would be one special bottling that will be in very short supply! Another unique characteristic of this BenRiach bottling is the cask used for this whisky itself. This whisky was matured in a Barolo cask (or hogshead) from the famous Gaja Barolo winery in Italy rather than the standard American, Bourbon or Sherry Oak casks.

However, as they all say, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, so without further ado, here is sgwhisky's exclusive review of the BenRiach 1988 Generations: A Singapore Exclusive.

Name: BenRiach Single Cask Bottling: Generations, A Singapore Exclusive
Distillery: BenRiach
Region: Speyside
Type: Single Cask Single Malt Scotch
Age Statement: 22 Years Old (It says 21 Years Old on the bottle though)
Vintage: 1988, Cask 4423
Bottle No: 16/269
Alc/Vol: 54.8%

Nose: A rich and luscious nose with no alcohol burn despite its heavy percentage. Extremely sweet with notes of honey and figs (both dried and fresh), slightly grassy as well. With water notes of cocoa and caramel come through (22)

Taste/Palate: If the bite was not in the nose, it surely is in the palate. Powerful, spicy and citrusy on the tongue. Notes of fresh orange, orange marmalade and honey, before the sweetness of figs hits the back of the tongue. The slightest tinge of peat and chocolate bring up a real powerful end (23)

Finish: A lovely nutty and floral finish that reminds me of a nice non-acidic coffee made in the style of a Latte. Creamy, linger and pleasant (23)

Balance: This is not for those who prefer their whiskies well balanced, as it is rich on the nose, robust on the palate and light on the finish, with a complex flavour profile. However, for a whisky that is seemingly weirdly balanced, this works brilliantly in my book! Another real winner for the Singapore market! (24) 92/100


Found at: Drinks fellas (For now!)

Once again, sgwhisky would like to thank Jack and the people at Drinks fellas for the opportunity to have an exclusive sneak peek at this lovely dram!