Benrinnes 21-year-old - Grand Crescendo

The long ageing in seasoned casks has destroyed all the elegance perceived on the nose, which on drinking becomes a little monotonous and unbalanced on the vinosity. A pity, also for the price, which is quite unreasonable.

Slightly waxy nose, beeswax, but mostly floral, lilac, daisy, and fruity, very pulpy orchard fruits, very ripe pears, yellow and white peaches, green apples, plums ready to burst. But also some red fruits, strawberries, raspberries, currants. On the palate, it's rather sweet, cherry, blueberries, it's vinous, with bark, forest berries. Rather discreet and subtle spices. Relatively light but very long finish, well made, mint leaf, lemon and crushed cereals, balsamic vinegar. It's very good, floral and very fruity, it will please fans of the genre. The wine barrels give a profile to this edition, without distorting the distillery's character too much. https://ilikesky2020.blogspot.com/2025/03/benrinnes-21-yo-special-release-2024.html

Great dram... but what a pricetag...

A well-made properly aged 21 years old whisky, but there is nothing that would make it outstanding or somewhat special. Around 250 Euros, I would be tempted to buy me a bottle. The collector in me... :) The asking prices between 425-450 Euros are straight out laughable. The Benrinnes signature I know and love from ex-bourbon aging is lost. Shame...

A really good malt, a fruit package from the forest and the tropics. The wine brings the tart fruitiness without disturbing the overall picture with heavy tannins. I would buy it for 200 euros.

One of my favorites in DSR 2024. Noble whisky, complex whisky, fruity whisky, deep whisky, balanced whisky and, most importantly, it's freaking tasty.

One of those drams where the nose isn't particularly enticing, but then it improves on the palate. Worth trying, but at that price I think I'll leave the bottle on the shelf.

Delicious whisky, unfortunately with a completely overpriced price. The aroma is too subtle for me, but the taste and finish completely compensate me and boost the score. I won't buy a bottle because I think it's too expensive.

Higher than 80% IB, but the alcohol is still a bit strong and the body is also very dull

Fruity in aroma, quite light, as if soapy. Duck soap. Taste distinctly sweet, strong, pleasant. Finish metallic, medium long, slightly bitter. Good whisky. The aroma and aftertaste are OK, the taste is significantly better, beautifully smooth and sweet.

Dark gold color. Oily structure.

aroma: delicate, smooth, dark fruit taste: smooth, tannins, dark fruit, dried fruit I wouldn't even guess 21 years here. A beautiful balanced thing

Overrated

This whisky is very fragrant, fantastically floral, with a wide range of fruits from peaches, wild strawberries to exotic mangoes and lychees. Very sweet, perfume-complex. In taste it reminds of luxurious Champagne and a lot of floral tones, pleasant acidity, fruity sweetness. Soft and unobtrusive spiciness and sweet wood simply have to be! Undoubtedly a very gifted and luxurious whisky with a lot of fantastic and pleasant aromas but for a really ridiculously overpriced price.

Benrinnes 21yo (2024 SR) feels like a modern interpretation of an old-school heavy Speyside whisky. The first impression is deep and dark — blackberry jam, burnt sugar, roasted oak and rich dried fruits — followed by a subtle meaty note that reminds me why Benrinnes has such a cult following among whisky geeks. The charred cask influence is quite obvious, bringing layers of dark chocolate, espresso, black pepper and smoky spices. What I enjoy most is the texture: thick, oily and almost syrupy at times, yet still lively at cask strength. It doesn’t feel like a “pure distillery character” kind of whisky; instead, it feels carefully sculpted by modern cask management. Some traditionalists may dislike that, but personally I think it gives the whisky a very distinctive identity. Not the easiest or most approachable dram in the 2024 SR lineup, but definitely one of the most memorable. Picked up a bottle for slightly over USD 200 after the release of the 2025 SR lineup.

Benrinnes 21 years, Diageo Special Release 2024, 55.4% alc. Aging: 15 years in "refill" barrels and then 6 years of maturation in treated wine barrels Nose: Very ripe fruit aromas with banana, apple and plum, also some raspberry and pear, maybe even papaya. This fruity and slightly sweet side of the Benrinne seems really harmonious and elegant. Plus gummy bears, dry oak and a slightly floral and grassy note. Palate: Here too, pear and apple, blackberries and gooseberries, with an almost oily mouthfeel. The whisky then develops with more power, the wood has left a spicy touch. Pepper, iodine, olives. A little creamy honey and ribwort plantain. Finish: Long, again the honey and a colorful herbal mixture, the currants linger in the background. Conclusion: This Benrinnes has many sides, subtle elegance and intense aroma variety, in my opinion a strong bottling. 90/100 points (2024)

Quick testing at InterWhisky in Wiesbaden.

It's a fruit basket. There's hardly any flavor I don't like. I'm planning to buy it when it's on sale.

Peach, apricot, mango, green grape; floral; oak; candied sweetness; ginger spice; sugar syrup; chestnut-blossom; prickly/tingly; peach nectar; green wood; oily texture; more ginger; oak; lingering peach. Fruit-packed with good palate volume, but the chestnut-blossom note that jumps out from the palate can be challenging.

Closer to overvalued dross than masterpiece. 21 year old tastes like 12 year old with a price tag of a 30 year old...

Color and taste indicative of sherry casks, 21 years. Full bodied. Biscuity, medium finish. Also, orange peel, spice, tangy. Will probably change with development. Rating according to potential. But not worth $400. Not even close. August 2025. Hint of sulfur in aftertaste. Not good. Rating reduced, but not enough, especially for what it cost! In September 2025 and tasted first, more than a hint of sulfur in the finish. Apparently my rating is now the lowest of all who have bothered to do so. At this point this sets a new low for me for QPR, quality price ratio! Tasted first again in September 2025. I now don't get the sulfur aftertaste. However I had a major accident suffering trauma and just had a nerve block on my 4th finger right hand to put a dislocated distal digit back in place. Could this influence my taste? Double matured including in oak wine casks. Better today in October 2025. But need to try 1st. Trying first in December 2025. so no influence from ETOH. No sulfur, but maybe some influence from food. Very tasty, but still too expensive. In January 2026. Just tasted a 7 year old blue spot pot still. Beats this hands down. Too expensive and quality is borderline. In March 2026, nose medicinal and fruity. Initial taste fine and fruity. But finish is long and if left in glass for several minutes the sulfur dissipates. However, the cost is still exorbitant. Apparently was in refill casks for 8 years, then 13 years in wine casks and rejuvenated casks with charred ends, whatever that means. So apparently Diageo went to a lot of trouble to get this out, and in my opinion, failed miserably. Tasted again May 2026. No sulfur. But I think a virus HMPV, which I had, has changed my perception of sulfur in the aftertaste. I had Covid also, and just maybe that interfered with my cerebral taste perception. I'm down to 1/3 bottle and have to admit this 21 year old Benrinnes is superb. Still too expensive, but higher rating!

87,50

The age is noticeable on the inhale: the drink is round, there is varnished wood, tropical fruits, dried bananas. As it comes into contact with oxygen, nuts, dried fruits, leather and menthol freshness appear. In addition to them, there are tones of caramel and toffee. The taste is dense, dried fruit-nutty, with pronounced red berries and raisin sweetness. There is also caramel, vanilla, spicy and peppery spices. The aftertaste is slightly longer than its predecessors, but not much, it has black peppers, cinnamon and raisin sweetness. The sample deserves attention, it is round, and despite the strength it is quite easy to drink. But it does not demonstrate a radical break from the previous ones.