BENRIACH 11 ans 2006 Sauternes Finish LMDW Cellar Book

Nose : simultaneously firm and unctuous. Right from the first nose, the malted barley and botrytised grapes rival each other in intensity. Next, notes of cut hay produced by the grains create a wonderful support for honeyed (acacia), exotic (pineapple) and delicately spiced (ginger, cinnamon) notes. Gradually the nose then becomes fruitier, juicier (William’s pear) and fresher (spearmint). As a whole, it is wonderfully balanced._x000D_

Palate : lively yet generous. Like the nose, the attack reveals delicately herby, lavish (chervil, bay leaf, fennel) and fruity (roasted apple, mirabelle plum) notes. With huge finesse, the mid-palate then shows lots of character. Extremely svelte, it continually gains in elegance. Fresh fruit (peach, apricot) are followed by dried fruit (date, fig, walnut). The end of the palate is equally well-balanced._x000D_

Overall : long, smooth. Notes of herbal tea (verbena, camomile) highlight its heady temperament, while grapes that burst with sugar gradually take hold of the taste buds. The impressively malty end of the palate is equally delicious, revealing lots of dried fruit. A handful of spices (cardamom, nutmeg) then add huge vitality. The particularly exotic (coconut, banana) retro-nasal olfaction is also creamy (almond milk). The empty glass literally transcends the spicy register (pepper, clove) of the finish._x000D_