Benromach Traditonal 40%
Tasted: Sept 2008
Light, crisp aromas of citrus, soft spice and a late oily note. It has a lovely underlying oiliness.
Light on the palate, initially a bit floral. Nicely mouth filling with an oily body and extremely spicy too! There is a good depth of rich fruit and a slight touch of peat smoke on the finish. Relatively straightforward due to its youth but dangerously drinkable nevertheless!
Benronmach Traditional 40%
80% First Fill Bourbon/ 20% First Fill Sherry
Code: AA/AGFA
Btl: Dec 2011/ Tasted: Apr 2013
A light, slightly gristy nose displaying plenty of lemon. Almost tartly citrus with hints of grass and an underlying honeyed depth. Hints of refill sherry add fatness and sweetness along with a sweet barley and subtle pepper note. With time the aromas become slightly oily.
Quite fresh if a little raw on the palate with lemon, a touch of honey, barley and grass. It thickens towards the middle with a little gristiness and full-ish barley. Lovely light refill sherry note appears on the finish. Still pleasantly fresh with a grassy after-taste.
Benromach 2009 Cask Strength Batch 4 57.2%
1st Fill Bourbon/ Oloroso
Code: 191509/ Dist: 2009 Btl: 2020/ Tasted: Oct 2020
The nose opens with rich apricot, apple and the American oak and reminds me of the older 10 year old 43% bottlings and one could argue that its better balanced than the current 10 year old 43% bottling . Hints of peat, dried sherried fruit, walnuts, prune and raisin. With time a touch of manure, earth and dunnage.
The palate opens like the nose with the oily fruit, American oak and subtle, grainy sherry wood. Hints of raisin, tar, treacle and peat follow. Lovely intensity on the middle and a long, slightly masked and citric finish with more of the barley and American oak showing. Overall it’s an impressive bottling but feels a little younger than Batch 1.
Benromach ‘Sassicaia Wood Finish’ 2005 (7 year old) 45%
Bourbon/ 30 months finish in ex-Sassicaia cask
Dist: 2005 Btl: Apr 2012/ Tasted: Aug 2012
A very herbal, juicy and rich nose with sweet cherry aromas mingling with crisp cereal and a thin thread of earthy peat smoke. The finish lessens in intensity given time and allows the youthful cereal to emerge. Well balanced with the finish accentuating rather than dominating.
The palate opens with sweet cherry and some slightly, classic Italian bitter cherry notes. Barley and a touch of honey follows along with a touch of earthy peat on the middle. Quite full and rich but dries towards the end as some herbal character emerges. However suddenly, but briefly the juicy fruit remerges as does the light peat note. Quite pleasant and well balanced.
Benromach ‘Chateau Cissac Finish’ 2009 (8 year old) 45%
6 months in first fill American oak, 25 month ex-Chateau Cissac casks
Dist: 2009 Btl: 2017/ Tasted: Nov 2017
Aromas of slightly dusty barley, cereal, dark honey and edgy spice. The wine notes are well balanced considering how long it’s spent in the wine casks and adds hints of red fruit, syrup, liquorice and taught French tannins. Late subtle smokiness.
The palate is rich and juicy with soft, dusty, spicy tannins and earthy, slightly syrupy red fruit. Good depth and length with lingering syrup, liquorice and drying, almost chilli spices.
Benromach Triple Distilled 2009 (8 year old) 50%
American oak/ Dist: 2009 Btl: 2017/ Tasted: Nov 2017
The nose is crisp, fresh and grassy with crunchy barley, granulated sugar and hints of vanilla. Delicate and elegant with late hints of tangerine.
The palate is fresh and barley’d with white fruit and hints of grass and vanilla. Like the nose it is elegant with a lovely intensity and a long, crisp, mineral finish with late notes of wood spice and returning creamy vanilla.
Benromach 10 year old 43%
Bourbon/Sherry – Finished in sweet Oloroso
Tasted: Dec 2010
The classic, light, grassy citrus spirit melds seamlessly with slightly leafy sherry. There are buckets of pure dark chocolate and hints of peat. Gently smoked with a hard/ brittle barley note.
Initially edgy and brittle on the palate with a hint of sweet orange and barley. The sherry sits in the background adding hints of coffee and chocolate. Quite oily with the lazy peat building but the coffee/ mocha theme continues. The oak gently bitters out the finish and ends with a pure cocoa bean finale.
Benromach 10 year old 43%
Code: AA/AEIC
Btl: Nov 2011/ Tasted: Dec 2013
The nose displays light herbal-peat with oily honey. Quite phenolic with hints of light tar, vanillins and cardboard. However those notes blow off and mingle with the toasted caramel note.
The palate is quite oily and tarry with herbal, dry peat. Quite full and sweet beneath all the peat with a good fleshy, barley character. Good length with the herbal-peat, tar and light spice notes lingering. In conclusion: a little simplistic beneath the peat to be honest but it has a good depth and structure.
Benromach 10 year old 43%
Code: AB/BBBD
Btl: Jun 2013/ Tasted: Jan 2014
A very oily nose with hints of fishy-peat and light tar. Good depth but those oils flatten the aromas somewhat. With time some woody, charcoal spice emerges.
The palate is soft and oily – fish oil. Again the oils dampen. Pleasant intensity of fishy-peat an parma violets. Good, tart citrus and mineral finish with the light peat notes lingering In conclusion: Not exactly over endowed in the complexity department. The oils see to that, but pleasant nevertheless.
Benromach 10 year old 43% 1litre Travel Retail Bottling
Tasted: May 2013
A truly dreadful nose of bad, fusty, mouldy wood, confected sherry and burnt woody-peat. It’s bad to the bone!
The palate is metallic, green, fusty and sulphured. Awful! It’s the stuff of nightmares! It’s a vatting of manky old Bourbon casks and sulphured sherry butts, with a liberal sprinkling mouldy, fusty spices. Bad, bad, bad!
Benromach 10 year old 43%
Code: 4122011773/ Btl: Oct 2014/ Tasted: Nov 2014
A lovely nose of fragrant barley, apples, grass, cereal and a touch of honey. Lightly oiled with warm vanilla notes. The sherry is very restrained adding just a suggestion of rich, dried fruit and spice. Beautifully balanced with hints of leafy herbs and peat smoke.
The palate is pleasantly soft, opening with the sweet-ish sherried fruit and sweet American oak. It freshens towards the middle as the citrus arrives, allowing the barley, apple, apricot and a touch of banana get going. Very long and very juicy with the slightly sweet, playful peat coming through. The peat smoke becomes quite dusty as it trails off.
Benromach 10 year old 43%
Code: 4061524032/ Btl: Jun 2014/ Tasted: Feb 2015
The dry peat is quite prominent on the nose, more so than the last time I tasted it. Rich, American oak, juicy fruit and barley appears along with just a touch of dried fruit. The vanilla sweetens with time and a touch of smoke appears.
Like the nose the palate displays quite a bit of dry, dusty peat, earth and a little more chocolaty sherried dried fruit – raisins and prune. A hint of vanilla comes through on the middle but the peat comes storming back too with a light tarry note. Long and spicy with lingering peat.
Benromach 10 year old 43%
1st Fill Bourbon/ Oloroso
Code: 191545/ Tasted: Oct 2020
The nose displays plenty of sherried dried fruit and quite a noticeable amount of peat smoke as well. Lightly tarry and rubbery with herbal Oloroso, bacon fat, walnut, dark chocolate and subtle vanilla.
The palate shows more barley character and toasty American oak. The sherried dried fruit is subtler and more balanced with hints of tar, treacle and peat smoke. Again full and quite meaty with an edgy herbal edge. Long and juicy with a lovely fruity finish plus pepper, minerals and tar.
Benromach Cask Strength 2002 (10 year old) 59.9%
First Fill Bourbon/ Dist: Jan 2002 Btl: Sept 2012/ Tasted: Apr 2013
A little spirity and neutral on the nose. Pure vanilla pod notes are interwoven with a touch of smoke. The oak becomes creamier with time and a touch of white fruit, liquorice and Tequila-esque pepper appears. With time the fruit takes on a more pulped Agave quality.
The palate has a reasonable depth of gentle barley along with that pulped Agave fruit. Again a little spirity and the intensity of the alcohol makes the mouth water. Delicately peppery with a light peat smoke finish.
With water the palate become lighter and more distinctly Spey in character with lemon and gristy barley and a Sauvignon Blanc like grassiness. Still very peppery and Tequilla-esque but a lovely honeyed sweetness has emerged. The palate is softer and fleshier, but still quite light and delicate. There is less of the Agave character but it’s still detectable. Delicately smoked with a juicy, crystallised fruit finish.
Benromach 10 year old 100 Proof 57%
Tasted: Nov 2014
The nose shows more coffee’d sherry aromas than the standard bottling. The dried fruitcake and herbal notes are more prominent and that herbal element has an almost rye-like character. Hints of barley and dusty, coffee’d spice add to the intensity. With time the toffee’d American oak comes through.
Moist vanilla laced fruitcake, clove studded orange and plenty of coffee to begin with. A little drying spice is countered b the sweet malt. Lovely depth and complexity as the toffee’d American oak comes through on the finish along with a touch of light peat.
With water the nose becomes gorgeously citric and honeyed. The sherry has slinked off to leave the bourbon accented sweet fruit showing. No a light peat smoke can be detected. The palate mirrors the nose with the emphasis shifted towards the American oak. With the sherry tamed the apricot, apple and banana notes are all evident now. The peat note on the finish has now become quite sweet and fragrant.
Benromach 10 year old 100 Proof 57%
Code: 4124205006/ Btl: Sept 2014/ Tasted: Jan 2015
Intense, grainy coffee’d sherry and alcohol on the nose! Hints of fragrant smoke, liquorice, toffee, fruitcake and herbal rye-like notes come through. Water softens and emphasises the herbal character.
Neat, the palate is surprisingly soft and well behaved. All the character is cask derived – dried fruit, toffee, walnuts and coffee with a touch of gritty peat and spices. Lightly herbal on the middle. Water makes it a little simpler. Long and soft with lingering lightly oiled dried fruit and smoke. Water emphasises the spices, which are delightful. Conclusion: Given the nose was extremely alcoholic I assumed the palate would be as well, although in fact it’s surprisingly easy to drink neat.
Benromach 2008 (10 year old) Cask Strength Batch 1 57.9%
First Fill Bourbon/ Sherry
Dist: 2008 Btl: 2019/ Tasted: June 2019
Sweet, treacly, almost Pedro Ximinez sherry aromas with burnt raisin, tar, wood smoke and some slightly medicinal herbal notes. Very heavily sherry cask influenced with late hints of Demerara sugar, dried orange and milk chocolate. The herbal notes become slightly astringent and finally a touch of peat smoke appears.
The palate is quite alcoholic but smooth with again plenty of sherry notes – treacle, raisin, dried grape, tar and sweet spice. A masked but herbal finish with the oxidised fruit showing a subtle maturity and lingering peat smoke/ dust and bitter spices.
Water makes the sherry lighter on the nose and now a touch of barley, honey and vanilla appear. The palate mirrors the nose now, but the spices bitter a little more on the finish, although to be fair the weight of the spirit balances.
Benromach 2000 (11 year old) Burgundy Finish 45%
4 yrs in sherry/ 7 yrs in Pinot Noir casks
Dist: 2000 Btl: 2011/ Tasted: Sept 2011
A rich and spicy red fruit nose mingling rather pleasantly with some dense, nutty sherry aromas. Reasonably mature with a touch of peat and a slight perfumed note.
The palate is soft and delicately winey. Like the nose, spicy red fruits are given weight and sweetness by the sherry influence. Very smooth, warming with some gently peated dried fruit in the finish. There is minimal distillery character but both casks have blended together in a balanced way.
Benromach 15 year old 40%
Sherry/ Tasted: Nov 2005
Quite an oily nose with a lovely balance of spicy orange fruit, sherry and a touch of peat. It seems older with some mature honey and vanilla notes. Very deep with a slight floral top note.
Quite sweet-ish on the palate, again really well balanced with honey, coffee, sherried fruit and spice. Like the nose the honey has a good maturity and a touch of beeswax. Pleasant floral finish with oodles of spice notes lingering.
Benromach 15 year old 43%
Code: 4218605768/ Btl: May 2015/ Tasted: July 2015
The nose is subtle but deep with plenty of oak to begin with along with coffee, chickory, barley, oxidised fruit, orange and oily peanut/ walnuts. Showing some delightful maturity and sweetness which reminds me of a late harvested wine.
Soft and unctuous on the palate, with an oxidised Cognac-esque fruit rancio, followed by the lightly coffee’d oak. However that beautiful dried (non-sherried) fruit is the focal point. Oozing class and maturity with a deftly interwoven sweet spice note. Long and gently spiced with the Cognac-esque notes lingering.
Benromach 15 year old 43%
Code: 701831xxxx/ Btl: May 2017/ Re-Tasted: Feb 2018
The nose is quite manurey and maybe a little dirty as there’s a distinct balsamic edge to the aromas. Plenty of treacle, Oloroso and a subtle thread of peat.
The palate is cleaner than the nose but still quite heavy on the sherry with treacle, toffee and nutty oak notes. Hints of barley, apricot, white fruit and barley come through. A little drying and tannic on the finish. In conclusion: A few off notes on the nose but the palate was definitely better.
Benromach 15 year old 43%
Code: 300358/ Btl: Jun 2020/ Tasted: Sept 2020
Aromas of smoky, mature Oloroso dried fruit, oxidised fruit and hints of barley, dark coffee and toffee. Although heavily sherry influenced it displays a good freshness with late green nuts, earth and peat smoke.
The palate is juicy with moist fruit cake and hints of earth, wood smoke and sawdusty American oak. Lovely maturity, if fairly wood dominated, although there is some barley on the middle along with dark coffee, soft but slightly gritty tannins, green nuts and peat smoke. Long with herbal Oloroso and Armagnac-esque notes, peat smoke, dark fruit and malt.
Benromach 15 year old 43%
1st Fill Bourbon/ Oloroso
Code: 200358/ Tasted: Oct 2020
The nose displays a pleasant blend of mature American and sherry oak. Sub Cognac-esque notes of baked apple, apricot along with dried orange rind, sultana, cinnamon and pepper. A subtle whiff of peat smoke emerges as does a touch of treacle, tar, malt biscuits and violets.
The palate opens with soft but slightly gritty Oloroso tannins. The barley and American oak is subservient and subtle but nevertheless noticeable. Juicy, raisinated fruit, peat, orange peel and minerals on the middle. Good intensity and finish with lingering sweet dried fruit, tar, liquorice which is balanced by the alcohol and mineral notes.
Benromach 18 year old 40%
Tasted: April 2004
A delightful nose. Light, floral, oily, orange/ apricot bouquet with a hint of sherry.
A well rounded malt, medium-bodied with nutty, malty, slightly floral honey and fruity notes.
Benromach 21 year old 43%
1st Fill Bourbon/ Oloroso
Code: 206020/ Tasted: Oct 2020
Aromas of mature, green nut infused Oloroso and raisinated fruit. There is an edgy/ gritty side to the sherry rather than being overtly polished. Leather, walnuts, oxidised fruit notes follow along with late cinnamon bark, toffee and a slight floral sherry note.
The palate displays a good depth of moist Cognac-esque fruit, green nuts, coffee, tannins, edgy spice. Very sherry accented but wonderfully mature and balanced by the citrus and mineral notes. Long, unctuous and edgy with a green nuts/olive and citrus finish. I love the natural feel to this malt but I think it would have benefitted from being bottled at 46%.
Benromach 1980 (24 year old) 58.6%
Dist: 1980 Btl: 2004/ Tasted: Feb 2005
An intense, oily nose of honeyed orange fruit, a touch of peat and earth. There is a lovely freshness to the aromas with loads of refill-sherry notes and citrus.
Lovely orange fruit on the palate, buckets of clean honey, malt and mouth coating spices along with a touch of coffee. It needs a drop of water to fully appreciate this malt. It brings out a fresh perfumed note and a touch of vanilla and spices on the nose. On the palate it emphasises the oils, smooth’s and brings out the glorious fruit. Sweet and sappy with loads of wood spices on the finish. It certainly doesn’t seem like it is 24 years old!
Benromach 30 year old 43%
First & Refill Sherry casks/ Tasted: Apr 2013
Beautifully deep aromas of light honey. coated orange and barley. Dusty oak arrives with hints of alnut and light treacle. A gorgeous combination of granulated and demerara sugar tops the slightly tropical guava, apricot and banana. The oak does become more assertive but the aromas still retain their fresh edge. Wonderfully silky and mature.
The palate is so soft and juicy, opening with light barley sugar and a drizzle of thin honey. The mature oak adds some deft spices and the sugars arrive right on cue! Very mouth-filling but getting a little dry towards the end as the oak asserts itself. Sublimely elegant with a little milk chocolate and duty spice on the finish.
Benromach 30 year old 43%
Re-Tasted: Nov 2014
A beautiful, mature nose of sawdusty oak and luscious honey. Supremely balanced with layers and layers which unfold to show lime, apricot, kiwi, mango, white grape and cereal. It’s a veritable fruit salad of a nose! A little dried fruit appears along with hints of lightly oiled spice and demerara sugar.
The palate is soft and juicy with light honey, barley, white grape, apricot, kiwi and lime. The combination of mature sherry and bourbon oak sits beneath giving support. Hints of Java coffee, milk chocolate and beautifully dusty spices come through on the finish. Although it dries a little that light honey note punches above its weight to offset. Stunning stuff!
Benromach 35 year old 43%
Tasted: June 2016
Intensely dusty and mature Oloroso nose with flecks of orange peel. Lightly treacly, smoky and pruney with hints of bonfire embers, green nuts, camphor, dark roasted coffee and a touch of chocolate orange.
The palate is soft and mellow with dark honey and treacle, along with hints of burnt wood, smoke and green nuts. Plenty of oxidised fruit character and a touch of slightly bitter chocolaty tannins and wood spice. Long and crisp with lingering dark honey softened tannins, sweet spice and raisinated fruit. Slightly astringent green nut after-taste. In conclusion: A lovely, clean and mature sherry matured Spey. An ideal after dinner dram!
Benromach 1976 (36 year old) 46%
First and Refill Sherry Hogsheads/ Dist: 1976 Btl: 2012/ Tasted: Nov 2014
The nose is even deeper and dustier than the 30 year old! However the aromas are more vibrant, which could be down to abv, showing a little more herbal sherry. The tropical fruit is still apparent but the gorgeous, mature oak is the focal point. A little herbal peat emerges with time and the fruit begins to fight back. With time it becomes a little chocolaty with a touch of demerara sugar and sweet spice appearing.
The palate is so soft and luscious with coffee and chocolate saturated honey along with beautiful moist dried fruitcake. Like the nose it is vibrant and gently spiced with the tropical fruit coming through on the middle. Stunning finish with citrus, minerals and some lightly oiled marzipan. The spices tease and bitter a little but the after-taste is pure cocoa powder with a light granulated sugar sweetness. Damn fine stuff!
TASTING NOTES – DISTILLERY RELEASES (ORGANIC)
Benromach Organic 43%
American Oak/ Btl: 2006/ Tasted: Aug 2006
Big, deep and rich aromas of luscious honied fruits, followed by tons of fresh oak and vanillins. Very, very weighty just like a good Bourbon with a late spice note drifting in.
On the palate it is softer and more whisky like with the malty, honied fruit flavours leading the way, followed the vanillins. Very weighty with a lovely tangy spiciness to the fruit. The wood masks the innate youth of the spirit and makes this a very enjoyable dram. Lovely length with a softly tangy youthful finish.
Benromach Organic ‘Special Edition’ 43%
Virgin American Oak/ Tasted: Nov 2009
I wondered what was so special about this bottling. Then I put my nose in the glass and it all became apparent – Peat! – Lovely, dry, crumbly peat! There is not so much oak as in the first bottling and it has a delightful Caol Ila like freshness to it. With time it becomes quite fishy with iodine and rubbery notes emerging. However it is not one dimensional and there is a lovely strata of fruit beneath.
The palate mirrors the nose with some gentle peat, of the crumbly, fishy persuasion. The peat reek gathers pace but it is by no means a monster, but it finishes with serious intensity leaving a coal dust and wood tannins finish. Finally the slightly tropical fruit (banana and apricot) pushes its way through on the after taste. Superb stuff!
Benromach Organic ‘Special Edition 2012 Release’ 43%
Tasted: Aug 2012
A interesting nose. Quite herbal with some dry peat smoke and a slight TCP/ medicinal note. It seems the overt oakiness of previous bottlings is considerably lessened now those casks have been refilled a few times, which allows the dense but sugar sprinkled apricot, orange and barley notes to shine through. Lovely intensity and depth.
The palate opens with some sugar dusted barley and lovely dense fruit along with some gentle dry peat with a herbal edge. Like the nose the oak is quite delicate and the peat turns rather dusty but pleasantly sweet on the middle. Excellent length with a slightly salty finish. Still quite broad and full, a lovely dram.
Benromach Organic 2008 (6 year old) 43%
Virgin American Oak/ Dist: 2008 Btl: 2014/ Tasted: Nov 2014
The nose is very herbal, reminiscent of young rye. Joyously fruity with voluptuous aromas of tropical peach, apple, apricot and banana along with plenty of sweet barley and big, sweet, creamy oak. I would guess that some virgin American oak casks are working their way back in given the preponderance of oak notes. However the combination of the citrus and alcohol balances the sweetness.
The palate is full and toffee’d with lots of creamy vanilla. However the citrus slices through like a hot knife bringing the tropical fruit in its wake. Briefly it is quite sweet on the middle before the herbal rye-like notes rush in. Very long with the herbal notes lingering along with the banana, pineapple and oak.
Benromach Organic 2010 (5 year old) 43%
Virgin American Oak/ Dist: 2010 Btl: 2015/ Tasted: Jan 2017
Very obvious, grainy and vanilla’d oak up first with butter, toffee and hints of herbal barley. The oak is omnipresent and becomes very ‘Bourbony’. However the spirit character stands up to it quite well.
The palate actually opens with the herbal barley, dark berries and youthful taught spirit character before the rich and toasty oak arrives bringing with it a touch of gritty coffee’d tannins. Long with the herbal notes taking on a rye-like character and finishing with a touch of spice.
Benromach Organic 2012 (8 year old) 46%
Virgin Oak/ Code: 200690/ Dist: 2012 Btl: 2020/ Tasted: Oct 2020
The nose is very oaky and full of vanilla, wood shavings, toasty oak and clotted cream. The barley notes do eventually push through and a touch of citrus emerges too but overall it’s loosing out to the oak.
The palate is a little less oaky but it’s still noticeable with charred oak, coconut, toffee. There’s a touch more barley, citrus and hints of minerals and grass. It seems like the younger spirit eventually sees off the oak, but I don’t remember this much oak from previous releases.
TASTING NOTES – DISTILLERY RELEASES (PEAT SMOKE))
Benromach Peat Smoke 2000 (7 year old) Batch 1 46%
First Fill Bourbon Barrel/ Dist: 2000 Btl: 2007/ Tasted: Oct 2007
A light nose of grassy, citrus lemon fruits, herbs, late peat smoke, creosote, earthy dunnage floors, orange and a touch of oily/ creamy vanilla. Quiet complex for all its youth with a lovely soft balance.
Again light on the palate, maybe a touch watery initially, but the delicate oily citrus fruit evolves along with herbs, grass and light spice. There is less peat than the nose suggests, it is more in the background. Finishes dry and crisp with a touch of gentle late spice and lingering peat notes. A nice delicate Speysider with a touch of peat!
Benromach Peat Smoke 2002 (6 year old) Batch 2 43%
First Fill Bourbon – Peated to 53ppm/ Dist: 2002 Btl: 2008/ Tasted: Sept 2008
I was a bit fan of the first bottling of Peat Smoke, and the second batch definitely doesn’t disappoint. Crisp, clean and floral nose. It seems less overtly peaty than the first bottling, but that’s not to say that it is in anyway lacking in the peat smoke and coastal-rubber. It almost reminds me of a lightly peated Caol Ila with that fresh, garden fruit aroma.
It has a lovely sweet-ish entry and a lot more fruit than the nose would suggest and definitely lacking the slight watery-ness of the earlier bottling. There’s a lovely, gradual build up of gentle peat and coastal notes. The mid palate is intense and extremely packed with citrus and finishes with a leafy, bog myrtle hint. Again really leaves me thinking of Coal Ila!
Benromach Peat Smoke 2002 (8 year old) Batch 3 46%
First Fill Bourbon – Peated to 53ppm/ Dist: 2002 Btl: 2010/ Tasted: Nov 2010
Apparently the head hocho of Benromach thought that the Batch 2 was too Islay in character, so they chose spirits with a lower peating level for this bottling……. And, well they’ve failed! It’s still quite coastal and phenolic with more than a passing reference to Caol Ila. It does seem a lot younger than the previous two bottlings with a touch of rose petal marc. However there is no shortage of crisp, briny fruit, orange, cereal and butterscotch oak. So quality wise they definitely haven’t failed!
The palate opens with the creamy fruit, cereal and barley before the brine and peat gets into gear. Definitely not a monster but the peat is the dominant theme and builds in a distinctly controlled manner. Just this side of wild and youthful (actually quite ferocious by Benromach’s normal sedate standards) with a lovely burst of pepper on the middle. Very long with a rock salt finish.
Benromach Peat Smoke 2002 (9 year old) Batch 4 46%
First Fill Bourbon – Peated to 53ppm/ Dist: 2002 Btl: 2011/ Tasted: Nov 2012
As per usual a very youthful nose with plenty of cereal and barley along with a touch of rose petal marc. Funnily enough it reminds me of some of the bottlings of the peated Penderyn. Slightly manurey, reasonably phenolic but not hugely peated. In fact the peat has a distinct sooty character. It seems to me that with each release the spirit is getting younger and although I like this nose, the natural oils are muting it slightly.
The palate is light and youthful. Definitely more Speyside in character than the previous two bottlings, with hints of lemon and a light dusting of icing sugar. Gently smoky with cereal and rose petal marc notes. A rather tart, lightly salty finish but it lingers amazingly well as the salinity increases. Lovely finish with hints of bog myrtle and fishy-peat. Still very enjoyable and excellent value for money.
Benromach Peat Smoke 2002 (9 year old) Batch 4 46%
Dist: 2002 Btl: 2011/ Re-Tasted: Apr 2013
A pleasantly fresh, youthful and slightly gristy nose with the distinct Benromach lemon note initially prominent. Again there is a slight Tequila-esque Agave pepperiness but it’s the slightly manurey peat that steals the show! The peat is dry and slightly meaty with just a light medicinal intimation.
The palate is light and lemony with a hint of rose water and barley before the dry, earthy and slightly medicinal peat arrives. Wonderfully intense on the middle with pepper notes joining the peat. Quite full with the oak adding body but not much in the way of vanillins. A wonderfully tongue tingling lemon finish with the peat reek lingering.
Benromach Peat Smoke 2005 (9 year old) Batch 5 46%
First Fill Bourbon – Peated to 67ppm/ Dist: 2005 Btl: 2014/ Tasted: Nov 2014
Given its peating level the aromas are pretty heavy on the peat! It’s a mixture of both dry and herbal peat along with a faint brininess. The robust barley sits beneath but the ‘Islay’ character is the dominating theme. With time it becomes very fishy and manurey and you could easily mistake this for a native of Islay.
The palate shows more fruit. Soft, squidgy banana, apricot and barley, but the peat is building! Quite briny on the middle with a sweet, fragrant smokiness and plenty of black pepper. Long, lingering, dry peat, salt, violets, brine and fish oils. Again less peated Spey and more Islay in character.
Benromach Peat Smoke 2008 (10 year old) 46%
First Fill Bourbon – Peated to 47PPM/ Dist: 2008 Btl: 2018/ Tasted: Jan 2020
The nose is fresh and phenolic with briny peat and sweet, luscious apricot and vanilla. It becomes quite gritty and fishy in a sub-Springbank style. Late roasted meat, lemon and barley.
Full and oily on the palate with briny peat and hints of barley and more noticeable first fill creamy oak. The oak takes the edge off the peat a little but again it has a very Springbank-esque fishy character with hints of coffee and malt on the middle. Long, mineral and salty finish with lingering tangerine, apricot and lemon. Very ashy-peat after-taste.
Benromach Peat Smoke 2009 (10 year old) 46%
Peated to 42PPM/ 1st Fill Bourbon/ Btl: 2020/ Code: 200696/ Tasted: Oct 2020
A young, slightly feinty and salty nose with a touich of ‘toshan-esque strawberry mousse notes. Briny and peaty with hints of pepper and earth. With time it settles down to show some barley, lemon and biscuity notes. It does have a slight alcohol prickle and in a way it reminds me of a young Ardmore.
The palate opens with more of the vanilla oak. The peat and brine notes are subtler, possibly down to the oiliness of the spirit, but the emphasis is still very much on the peat smoke. Hints of barley, white fruit and grass. Punch, peaty finish, a little short but intense with a violety and oily finish.
Benromach Peat Smoke Sherry Matured 2010 (8 year old) 59.9%
Dist: 2010 Btl: 2019/ Tasted: Mar 2019
Deep aromas of rich, sherried dried fruit and subtle peat smoke, tobacco, liquorice, tar and molasses. Silky and smooth with a touch of barley, earth, candied orange peel and almost botanical juniper-like notes.
The palate is pleasantly intense with tar, molasses and a density of dried fruit and subtle herbal Oloroso notes. Gentle, dry peat smoke wafts in along with prune and juicy orange on the middle. Subtle tannin and coffee’d finish with lingering sherried fruit, earth and peat.
Water makes the nose lighter and more citric with a softer sherried character. The palate is softer but still heavily sherried and treacly. A little shorter and a touch more tannic now with less peat but still enough to notice. The finish shows more herbal Oloroso.
TASTING NOTES – DISTILLERY RELEASES (ORIGINS)
Benromach Origins 1999 (9 year old) Batch 1 50%
Golden Promise Barley/ Re-fill Sherry/ Dist: 1999 Btl: 2008/ Tasted: Sept 2008
A 9 year old spirit, matured in a combination of first and second fill sherry casks, lightly peated to 4ppm.
The nose has an initial buttery note along with floral influences, followed by a prominent toasted malt note with subtle sherry notes in the background. The palate starts creamy and becomes very sweet with the heavily toasted malt influences along with a very delicate smoky nuance. Mouth watering, balanced and complex.
With water the nose displays a distinct sweetness with heavy malt notes, delicate orange peel and some smoke whilst on the palate it brings out a peppery note.
Benromach Origins 1999 (11 year old) Batch 2 50%
Optic Barley/ Port Matured/ Dist: 1999 Btl: 2010/ Tasted: Dec 2010
For a malt that has spent its entire life in port pipes it is surprisingly light in colour. The nose is very much like the Batch 3 – big and toffee’d with the spicy, winey notes being hammered by the toffee. Subtle it isn’t.
The palate however has a lightness of touch with eh earthy red fruit holding the high ground and the toffee lurking. Very oily and dry, there is no shortage of tannins here amongst the spicy/ peppery wine notes. Good length with wine moving into a Turkish delight/ rose petal/ old (slightly musty?) Bordeaux dénouement and like before the oak bittering out the finish.
Water makes the nose a lot more high toned and winey, but doesn’t really affect a huge change upon the palate, although it’s a bit softer and a touch vague now.
Benromach Origins 2000 (10 year old) Batch 3 50%
Optic Barley/ Re-fill Sherry/ Dist: 2000 Btl: 2010/ Tasted: Dec 2010
A huge, toffee overload! Followed by biscuity malt and crumbly shortbread, followed by more toffee and more malt. There is a vague smokiness, a touch of orange fruit and a lurking sherry presence, but the toffee gives it a right good kicking! A real enigma of a nose!
The palate is a tad lighter than the nose would suggest although it is still very toffee’d and malty. Thick and chewy, a veritable mouthful of malt! The alcohol attempts to balance and allows some hard citrus and wood spices through. Like the 10 year old the oak bitters out the finish.
A drop of water just about brings out some fruit on the nose and a slight cardboard note(?) On the palate it has become better balanced with the fresh citrus now keeping the toffee to a relative level. Even the grassy spirit comes through now delivering a metallic twang to the finish along with the bittering oak.
Benromach Origins 2003 (10 year old) Batch 4 50%
Optic Barley Peated to 8ppm/ Port Matured/ Dist: 2003 Btl: 2013/ Tasted: July 2013
An intense and earthy nose with plenty of sweet cherry and lightly perfumed red fruit. Beneath is some rich barley and toasty oak.
The palate opens with the sweet red fruit along with a touch of earthy, edgy peat along with hints coffee and wood tannins. Quite a mouth-watering middle, due to the high abv. Lovely spicy finish which is a little on the short side.
A drop of water makes the nose so subtle to the point of simplicity with just a vague red fruitiness. The palate is like the nose, still a little short as the wood grips the finish.
Benromach Origins 2005 (8 year old) Batch 5 50%
Golden Promise Barley. Peated to 12ppm/ First Fill American oak sherry/ Dist: 2005 Btl: 2013/ Tasted: July 2013
An intense nose of crushed, gristy barley with hints of lemon, elderflower and creamy oak. It has a lovely youthful citrus character, but the toffee’d oak attempts to assert itself, but that citrus character keeps it at bay. With time a little coffee note can be detected but not much in the way of sherry character.
A sweet barley start to the palate with a light gristiness. Quite full and broad with apricot and apple but less of the citrus that was displayed on the nose, but the alcohol balances the big oak input. Good length with a lovely bitter/ sweet finish.
A drop of water makes the nose appear younger and simpler, still quite citrusy with a faint whiff of peat. The palate is likewise simpler and a little sweeter. Quite mouth-filling now with less bitterness from the oak.
Whisky According to Chris Whiskyman 