Review #483 - Blackadder Benrinnes Raw Cask 15 Year Barbados Rum Cask Finish
Blackadder, an independent bottling company established in 1995, bottles a number of different spirits from countries around the world. One of their main focuses is single malt - quite a few Scottish distilleries have been included in their releases, all as single casks.
Their whisky is all natural - no chill filtration, no coloring added - and almost always bottled at cask strength. In fact, their most popular brand is the 'Raw Cask' - these are bottled without any filtration, meaning that the char and sediment from the cask makes it into the bottles along with the whisky.
This cask of Benrinnes that Blackadder bottled was originally matured in an ex-bourbon cask before it was moved to a rum cask for finishing. It's a Barbados rum cask, though the specific rum distillery is undisclosed; at the end of the aging cycle, the whisky was bottled at a cask strength of 54.2% ABV.
Blackadder Benrinnes Raw Cask 15 Year Barbados Rum Cask Finish
Scotland/Speyside - Single Malt
Price Paid: USD 149 (2024)
Current Locally Available Price: USD 149 (2025)
Age Statement: 15 Years
Strength: 54.2% ABV
Cask Makeup: Finished in a Barbados rum hogshead
Details: Not chill filtered, no color added; cask 309928, distilled November 1, 2006; bottled October 2022; 260 bottles
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 4 times over 6 months; bottles at 100%, 90% (blind tasting), 80% (blind tasting), and 60% (blind tasting) fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a nosing glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Sweet fizzy notes: toasted coconut, vanilla, a bit spirity with metallic hints and some and some minerality; light fruits of pear, golden apple, and guava, too. There's a bit of oak showing, mostly as sawdust, as well as a soft machine oil smell. With time, we get more malt, licorice, and tonic water.
Palate: Oily and buttery, with some weight to the spirit. The flavors have a lighter complexion, though: hay, dry vanilla, malt, white pepper, honey. Butterscotch and mild tropical fruits add more sweetness, while wood spice and minerality add backbone. With air time: citrus oil, sea salt, and perfume; it has a medium-thick mouthfeel.
Finish: Warming and rich, a nice balance of malt and oak. Oversweet coconut and vanilla, lavender, some sweet fruits like kiwi and guava; it becomes more creamy in the aftertaste, like creme brulee. It's a medium-long finish.
Final Note: This one needs a lot of time to open up, but the further into the bottle we've gotten, the better the whisky has gotten. It's quite subtle, but there's a bright, beautiful spirit note in the nose, and the palate brings some great weight and heft. A nice mix of sweet fruits, wood spice, and creamy vanilla notes from that rum cask; this is one to take your time with.
Value is a little below average, despite the great quality, just because this is also a relatively expensive bottle. Not a bad buy, and could be good for those who are a fan specifically of Benrinnes or rum maturation.
Our Average Rating: 7.9 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 5.95
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
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