Mini SBT from Porcorosso

I received a blind sample from my malt friend Porcorosso and had the pleasure of tasting it. ※Due to forgetting to take photos, the image is just a reference for how it looks. (The following are my tasting notes from the blind sample.) ・Mini SBT from Porcorosso ・Aroma: Strong fruity notes upfront, clearly peach and lychee, solid tropical fruits, apricot jam, oak, vanilla, a touch of well water, cream. ・Palate: A moderate attack with a fruity mouthfeel, similarly strong tropical fruits, peach, mango, pineapple, lychee, good oak, a chemical-like note reminiscent of children's syrup, some tar-like peat, oil. Despite the intense fruitiness, the body is unexpectedly substantial, with a slightly sticky sweetness and a good acidity, balanced tannins, and peat lingering through the finish. The fruity aftertaste is long. ・Overall Impression: While it has a chemical note, it's a sample that allows you to savor the intense fruitiness. The tropical fruits and peach aromas were particularly pronounced. Additionally, there's a subtle peatiness, but most impressively, the alcohol strength and body were notable. This chemical + tropical sensation is something I've encountered in various distilleries recently, but it's notably refined without the paperiness or rustic feel. Intuitively, I'd say Benriach is a given. Compared to the very light and fruity 1976 hogshead from Benriach (Shin'noya, KINKO, BBI, etc.), this sample has more body and a subtle peatiness. Considering the alcohol strength and peat, I thought of either the bourbon cask 1976 Benriach or possibly earlier vintages like 1968 or 1970. It also seems to have aged significantly over the past few years. When thinking of tropical + peat, Bowmore from the 1960s comes to mind, but I've never encountered a 1960s Bowmore with such chemical notes and body. In terms of chemical + tropical, Tomatin, Loch Lomond, GlenGlasa, Littlemill, and Irish whiskeys come to mind, but they usually lack peat and have no off-flavors, making them overly delicious. Among these, considering the grassy notes and refinement, GlenGlasa might be a contender. While the peat is a bit of a stretch, I can somewhat accept it if it's a fruity GlenGlasa. Additionally, the occasional long-moon Benriach style also came to mind as a鉴别 candidate. Overall, the overwhelming first choice was intuitively the official Benriach. I hesitated between that and others but lacked the courage to choose it outright. (Laugh) 【Very Good】 Predicted Distillery: ① Benriach, ② GlenGlasa, ③ Bowmore Distilled Year: 1970s (up to 1976) Aging Years: 35-40 years Alcohol Strength: Around 50% Cask Type: Refill bourbon hogshead I sent this tasting and prediction via email. The correct answer was... Benriach BENRIACH 1976-2012 ♯3028 hogshead 43.2% KINKO's First Bottling This was the first bottling of Benriach 1976 by KINKO. The intention behind the question was to have you try what I consider the best state of '76, which had been bottled 3 years ago and opened 4 months ago. Despite being a well-known Benriach, I honestly remember it as very fruity but light-bodied when I drank it at release. However, this time, it felt significantly heavier than my memory. While some bottles become more complex after opening, I've never experienced a body becoming heavier rather than lighter. It's fascinating to see how Benriach remains refined despite the tropical fruit notes. Thank you for this delicious bottle.