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| Hello, that is considered one of our (virtually) every day tastings. Santé! |
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November 12, 2024
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9 new Benromachs (waxing lyrical)
That is in all probability the twenty-five-thousandth time we have made this little two-penny joke. Anyway, we’re delighted to have a couple of new Benromachs lined up, and right this moment is an efficient day to style them – at the least a few of them.
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Benromach 10 yo (43%, OB, +/-2024) 
We revisit the ten-year-old, a beloved dram that warrants our consideration each three or 4 years, so we’ll hold this swift. It sometimes garners a WF 87 from us, even with its modest bottling power. Color: gentle gold. Nostril: damp earth, pepper, leather-based, mustard, oranges, hay, capers, and moist chalk. Sure, spot on. Mouth: tobacco, smoked meat, cough lozenges, bitter oranges, then a briny martini with an olive. End: slightly lengthy, saline, with richly smoked bacon and a contact of lemon zest, resulting in a second martini impression. Feedback: all is nicely, acquainted and pleasant as ever, we’re comfortable to proceed appreciating this.
SGP:463 – WF 87 factors. |
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Benromach 9 yo 2014/2024 ‘Contrasts: Unpeated’ (46%, OB, bourbon and sherry)
Is Benromach with out peat like Jimmy Web page with out a guitar? Let’s discover out… Color: pale gold. Nostril: nicely, this proves that Benromach’s character isn’t solely reliant on peat. It stays true to the distillery’s profile with a particular earthy high quality, fairly coastal with hints of clay and slate. There’s additionally a tiny contact of mustard and a observe harking back to a sure Campbeltown distillery. Mouth: the richness of the 10-year-old makes a return, with leather-based, tobacco, ripe apples, and a smattering of dried fruits, significantly dried pear. End: not so completely different from ‘common’ Benromach in any case. Feedback: I nonetheless desire the 10-year-old, however this unpeated expression is each superb and intriguing. To be trustworthy, there’s nonetheless a touch of smoke in there.
SGP:552 – 85 factors. |
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Benromach 10 yo 2014/2024 (59.6%, OB, Germany Unique, first fill sherry hogshead, cask #486, 305 bottles) 
I discovered all of the current classic single casks from 2011, 2012, or 2013 to be excellent, whether or not matured in bourbon or sherry. Color: gold. Nostril: sulphur (let’s say intrinsic sulphur), asparagus, then walnuts, paraffin, lamp oil, chestnut cream, Iberian ham, contemporary tobacco… Totally charming with that wild edge we love. It’s fascinating how nicely the sulphur integrates—removed from cabbage soup or city fuel. With water: now hitting full-on shoe polish, plus a whiff of rabbit warren and well-hung grouse. Wild certainly. Mouth (neat): a powerhouse of ginger, bitter oranges, seawater, peat, inexperienced walnuts, and so forth. With water: a shocking freshness seems behind these intense, pronounced notes of leather-based, tobacco, and salt. The oranges shine by… End: very lengthy, spicier, but the oranges proceed to set the tone and preserve the stability. Feedback: we ought to be sending bottles to each capital in battle. Alas, historical past reveals that the worst leaders are sometimes those who don’t drink, whereas they might.
SGP:563 – 89 factors. |
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Benromach 11 yo 2013/2024 (61.1%, OB, Germany Unique, first fill bourbon barrel, cask #835, 231 bottles) 
I’ve obtained a little bit of a hunch right here… Color: straw. Nostril: as mild as a lamb at first, with custard and orange cake, then comes chalk, leather-based, a contact of smoked fish, thyme, seaweed, camphor, and mint. With water: cigar smoke and a pu-ehr tea cake be a part of the combo. Mouth (neat): an preliminary burst of fierce grapefruit and inexperienced and pink peppercorns, all draped in candle wax. With water: seawater, oysters, and lemons make an entrance. End: lengthy, crisp, vigorous, however turning richer and fruitier in direction of the top. At all times these citrus notes. Feedback: maybe it wasn’t apparent, however we adored this one; its purity and crystalline profile are actually gorgeous.
SGP:563 – 90 factors. |
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Benromach 10 yo 2014/2024 (60.2%, LMDW, Artist #14, first fill bourbon barrel, cask #384, 244 bottles)
What a beautiful label! Has a contact of COBRA about it, I feel. Color: straw. Nostril: a contact gentler and extra reserved than the earlier one, leaning in direction of pastries and croissants. I believe water shall be transformative… With water: not dramatically so; it stays impeccably refined and pure, now with added ashes alongside the polish. A contact of Organza. Mouth (neat): virtually equivalent to the 2013 official launch for Germany on the palate, which is good news. Waxes, grapefruit, salinity, grape seed oil—it’s excellent. With water: harking back to ‘Campbeltown’ on the similar age. Waxes, oils, citrus, hints of hydrocarbons, and a contact of fern. End: stays constant for an excellent whereas, with a little bit of eucalyptus. Feedback: like the very best batches of Sp******ok 10-year-old.
SGP:563 – 90 factors. |
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Benromach 19 yo 2005/2024 (59%, LMDW, Artist #14, first fill sherry butt, cask #164, 264 bottles)
La Maison du Whisky is that includes a number of new Benromach on this delightfully posh sequence (which I fairly get pleasure from, haha). Color: straw. Nostril: there should be some mistake—that is high-grade manzanilla, only a contact stronger than typical. Walnuts, curry, mustard, brine, and wild crab apples. Convey on the langoustines, please. With water: tiger balm, eucalyptus, and wintergreen take part… Handy, as I may use a little bit of muscle aid. Mouth: what a sherry cask! Fino, maybe? Curry, walnuts, salt, shellfish, mustard, chalk—all current and proper. With water: an distinctive whisky. Extra menthol and salted liquorice seem. End: lengthy and oily, but pure and extremely mineral. Feedback: I’ve one thing to let you know…
SGP:453 – 91 factors. |
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Right here it’s—I’m at the moment placing collectively a brand new listing of my private ‘grand cru’ whiskies. It’s removed from full and it may take years, however I can already share a short extract. Keep in mind, some are lacking, however because it stands, you’ll see that Benromach holds a distinguished place on the listing. Ardbeg (Scotland), Ardnamurchan (Scotland), Ben Nevis (Scotland), Benromach (Scotland), Brora (Scotland), Chichibu (Japan), Clynelish (Scotland), Daftmill (Scotland), Domaine des Hautes Glaces (France), Hellyers Street (Australia), Millstone/Zuidam (Netherlands), Port Ellen (Scotland), Shizuoka (Japan), Smögen (Sweden), Springbank (Scotland). Nothing earthshattering but, to be continued…
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Benromach 21 yo 2002/2024 (56.6%, OB, Capital Whisky Membership Unique, first fill bourbon barrel, cask #971, 170 bottles)
A particular launch for the discerning Capital Whisky Membership in London, promising a dram of remarkable pedigree. Color: gentle gold, shimmering with an attractive glow (lol). Nostril: intriguingly oily at first, with a fleeting metallic edge and an sudden, whimsical contact of ultra-premium cat biscuits (sure, actually) intertwined with dried floral bouquets. This idiosyncratic opening quickly unfurls right into a extra conventional Benromach profile, wealthy in citrus zest, chalky undertones, and a breath of moss. With water: fare thee nicely, feline fancy; a traditional Benromach emerges with signature notes of shoe polish, lemon, paraffin, earth, and chalk. Mouth (neat): spot-on, bursting with peppery heat, lemon oil, chalk mud, inexperienced apples, and a whisper of briny oysters. Completely no trace of any form of cat snacks right here. With water: pristinely refined, echoing industrial oils, lemon peel, flinty minerality, and crisp apple. End: lengthy, balancing weighty, oily depth with a taut, clear line. An accomplishment few distilleries can replicate; Springbank involves thoughts. Feedback: disregard any feline whims; that is one other luxurious Benromach to savour.
SGP:552 – 91 factors. |
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Benromach 22 yo 2002/2024 (56.6%, LMDW, Artist #14, first fill sherry hogshead, cask #22602102, 341 bottles)
A strikingly mature Benromach with a flourish worthy of its Artist sequence presentation. Color: full gold, deep and alluring. Nostril: age is gracefully stepping in, with whispers of rancio setting the tone alongside aged pu-ehr tea, a well-kept cigar field, and the unique heat of thuja wooden harking back to a Marrakesh souk. Pine needles and cedar wooden weave by, with hints of earthy bidis including a delicate wisp of smoke. With water: uncommon and splendid varnishes emerge, conjuring reminiscences of aged bourbons like Very Previous Fitzgerald—completely breath-taking. Mouth (neat): merely excellent! Layers of walnut wine, historic natural liqueurs, venerable chartreuse, and a wealthy orange-and-bergamot fudge come collectively in an intricate dance of flavours. With water: so lovely it’s virtually overwhelming, bursting with intensely concentrated spices and herbs, evoking a distinctly Jap mystique. End: immensely lengthy, leaving impressions of nice varnish, resinous gum, toasted sesame, salty liquorice, and a fragile, virtually valuable broth. Feedback: a chic, tertiary-aged Benromach of monumental stature. The artistry isn’t restricted to the bottle’s label; it sings inside the whisky itself (forgive the cliché, S.). And what an expression of sherry!
SGP:562 – 92 factors. |
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One final one. You should not overindulge in (very) good issues.
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Benromach 25 yo 1998/2024 (50.3%, LMDW, Artist #14, first fill bourbon barrel, cask #197, 160 bottles)
Among the many very first distillations carried out by the brand new custodians, Gordon & MacPhail. It’s all the time an interesting train to unearth these early intentions—akin to the preliminary ‘new’ Bruichladdichs distilled simply a few years after this venerable Benromach. What a masterstroke by G&M on the time. Color: gold. Nostril: part of that trademark tautness and crisp profile has mellowed; as an alternative, we encounter aged fir wooden, menthol, balms, and exceedingly ripe bananas with a touch of patchouli… One for the boomer crowd? With water: damp autumn leaves, soapwort, an previous cardigan adorned with glam badges—T-Rex, Candy, Bowie, the entire shebang. Mouth (neat): an enchancment over the nostril, supplied one has a mushy spot for mead and barely aged olive oil. There’s beautiful beeswax and a fragile orange peel dipped in chocolate. With water: to be frank, it’s delightfully charming, however not quintessentially ‘Benromach’, as in the event that they hadn’t but perfected the system that now works wonders. Was it an early, completely different peat protocol, maybe? Pure hypothesis… End: medium in size, with stewed fruits and natural infusions. Feedback: unquestionably glorious, although I’d say its newer siblings have outshone it significantly. Apologies, Benromach!
SGP:541 – 87 factors. |
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9 Benromach, that’s fairly one thing, proper.
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