Benrinnes 8 (North Star Spirits Cask Series 16)

North Star Series 15 and 16 tasting event, held at The Oak Barrel in Sydney on March 9, 2022. This is Whisky #2. Smell: Malt, cardamom, allspice, nutmeg, turmeric, pepper, and currants. Taste: A creamy, gingery malt flavor upon arrival. As it develops, I detected notes of butterscotch rolls, cinnamon scrolls, gingernut biscuits, and walnut bread. It possesses a very biscuity character. The texture is acceptable and certainly not watery. Aftertaste: Medium in length, with malt extract, biscuit flavors, and a trace of the spices from the palate. This is an acceptable whisky but feels like something is missing. It’s not complex, but I wouldn't call it simplistic either – it's more of a shallow pool whisky. Perhaps it's the youth or a reserved cask, but it’s surprisingly laid-back for a Benrinnes (definitely not heavily sherried) while still being spicy and having that pleasant malted biscuit quality. The previous North Star Benrinnes I sampled was a bit older and finished in a PX cask, which was more… well… more “entertaining,” I suppose. This whisky is like encountering someone at a party, talking for 15 minutes, and then being unable to recall their name or anything about the conversation five minutes later. It fails to leave a lasting impression. Water takes some time to show any effect, eventually introducing a bit more sweetness, but I preferred it neat. It offers fair value, but I wouldn't recommend it over other whiskies in the same price range. Ultimately, it’s an above-average dram, but only just. Rating: “Above Average”: 80/100 (2.75 stars)