Benriach 2009 Cask #3812 Pedro Ximenez Puncheon

NOSE Malty, milk chocolate, brown sugar, dried dark fruit, oak, graham cracker. Somewhat subdued, even with added water, not much is happening, but the existing notes are pleasant. PALATE Oaky, malty, dried orchard fruit, char, brown sugar, and some Sunkist fruit gems with a touch of baking spice and a tannic astringency. It delivers a nice warming flavor, but the prominent oak is a bit unusual, reminding me somewhat of a high-quality American Single Malt due to the tannic bite. FINISH Medium-Long -> Oaky notes, dried fruit, and baking spice gradually fade, leaving hints of cocoa and brown sugar.

The PX cask provided sweetness to balance the high alcohol content, but the aroma had a youthful sharpness accompanied by a nail polish-like scent, suggesting it might have benefited from a few more years to mature. It's a solid spirit overall, but requires some refinement to reach the level of other Benriach cask editions.

A 2007 bottling from friends. It is cask strength.