Benriach 31 Year Old – Menteith Thanes Series Macbeth Act One (53.1% abv)

‘Revenges burn in them, for their dear causes would, to the bleeding and the grim alarm, excite the mortified man.’ The speaker of these immortal words is Menteith, a nobleman who marches to oppose Macbeth in the play’s final act. To portray this herald of battle, Elixir Distillers head blender Oliver Chilton selected bourbon barrels from Benriach distillery in the Scottish Highlands. At 31-years-old this is a deep, earthy dram that balances wild notes of hedgerow and forest floor with the nuttiness and rich vanilla characteristic of good-quality American oak.

Menteith is one of 12 noble malts chosen to embody The Thanes in this series inspired by The Tragedy of Macbeth. Each one was based on a character sketch created by celebrated whisky writer Dave Broom and further brought to life with illustrations by Sir Quentin Blake.

Joe Rogers (The Whisky Exchange)
NOSE
Plums, green apples, blackberry crumble, Bakewell tart (a real one, not Mr Kipling’s) then elderflowers and apple blossoms.
PALATE
Brambles, gooseberries, almonds, pecans, peanuts, and a touch of caramel lead into lemon barley water and rolled oats. A few green twigs, bracken, fresh mushrooms, and a prickle of barrel char keep things grounded.
FINISH
Long and palate coating, linseed, walnut and olive oils linger after the fruit fades.
OBSERVATIONS
A superb Benriach. For all its refinement there’s still a wild side present in those berry and forest floor notes.