Rhinns is an uncommon, lightly peated Bruichladdich distillate. I’ve heard conflicting information on 1) how many times Bruichladdich has produced Rhinns, and 2) the details of its composition: either 2:1 or 3:1 Port Charlotte:Bruichladdich. If you have more info, please leave a comment; I’d love to know. That said, this is the first Rhinns I’ve been able to try, and I’m happy to say I’ve now tried the full Bruichladdich suite.
This particular Rhinns is a private bottling that commemorated special memories. It was aged in a Vin Doux Naturel hogshead, a wine I’d not heard of but now need to try on its own.
Whisky: Rhinns 11 Year (2011), Plot 33 Private Cask
Country/Region: Scotland/Islay
ABV: 50%
Cask: Vin Doux Naturel hogshead
Age: 11 Years (Distilled 2011, Bottled 2022)
Nose: Smoke. Burnt ends. BBQ. A touch of that Laddie funk.
Palate: Hazelnuts. Smoked meats. Chocolate. Oily. Water brings out wine notes.
Finish: Sweet and salty. More peat with time. Sulfur.
Score: 8
Mental Image: Wine and burnt ends in the BBQ sulfur pit.
Wow, what a nose. Not so much peaty as it is a Southern BBQ affair. That peat comes out with time, but smoked and BBQ meat runs the show. A touch of chocolate and nutty flavors round out the main experience. In some ways reminiscent of an Ardbeg. That said, I’d say unmistakable Port Charlotte character. The wine cask didn’t stand center stage, but rather augmented. Water brought it out a bit more. Not what I expected from my first Rhinns (being a Bruichladdich, after all), but it was not wholly unrecognizable. Interesting experience.
Tasted as part of a Bruichladdich/Octomore tasting put on by Dramfool.