Benromach Classic Speyside 15 Years Old Whisky, 70 cl

Product Information

Without prejudice to the section Liability below, the Service may be temporarily unavailable during maintenance, updates, etc. We shall make reasonable efforts to inform you of any unavailability due to maintenance or updates. We may sell, license, transfer, assign or in any other way dispose of the Service (including Members) to any third party without any notification to you, e.g. (but without limitation) in connection with any reorganization, restructuring, merger or sale, or other transfer of assets. As they state on their label, Benromach is made for “genuine character”. So, expect some rough edges, as Benromach is not one of those generic and all-too-many smooth and gentle crowd-pleasers. I was able to taste the lineup at a tasting event in Redwood City, CA, along with the Peat Smoke, Organic NAS, and Imperial Proof 10-year.

The Whisky of the Year tasting is the only official global blind whisky tasting undertaken by members of the public and, for the first time this year, the six shortlisted whiskies were nominated by global customers of The Whisky Exchange, with more than 1,200 putting forward their favourites. The Benromach 10 is dangerously quaffable. A dram offers much to explore if you take the time to delve into it. At 10 years of age and 43% ABV, this has more depth than some single casks at 20 years old or other, more renowned, standard bottlings of the same age. Weighing in the price, the score should amount to an 8/10. The nose is aromatic. Apples, pears, dates, figs, apricots, and raisins, milk chocolate, and leather are prominent, while a dash of perfume, some earthy notes, and subtle smoke round the whole thing off. Viscous mouthfeel making for a rich and full arival. Treacle and caramel and quite a bit of salinity. Chocolate and toffee apples, slightly nutty with wood and spice notes. Again there’s a dirty touch to it, but rather than turning sulphury, it all remains exactly where it should be. The spices lead the way in the long, warming finish with wood and chocolate turning dry towards the very end.Whiskybase B.V. (“Whiskybase”, “we” or “us”, company details below) offers a whisky enthusiasts online platform that provides its members access to the most comprehensive, transparent and trusted resource of whisky bottles and allows and stimulates its members to contribute information about whisky bottles to the platform (“Service”). Whiskybase B.V. is the Dutch private limited liability company, having its statutory seat in Rotterdam, The Netherlands and its office at Zwaanshals 530, 3035 KS Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Whiskybase B.V. is registered with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce under no. 52072819. Speyside distillery Benromach has claimed the top spot in the annual Whisky of the Year blind tasting by specialist spirits retailer The Whisky Exchange. Unless mandatory applicable law provides otherwise, your use of and membership to the Service are exclusively governed by Dutch law. We shall first try to settle any dispute over a dram of whisky. Disputes that cannot be settled over multiple drams of whisky shall be solely submitted to the court of Amsterdam, The Netherlands unless mandatory applicable law provides otherwise. Finish: Long, dark chocolate gingers, roasted coffee bean and treacle toffee, becomes dry and a little spicy with ginger, clove and pepper.

Distilled at Benromach distillery in Speyside and matured for a minimum of 10 years in ex-Bourbon and ex-Sherry casks, then finished in ex-Oloroso Sherry for 5 years for a total 15 years minimum maturation. The Benromach Contrasts: Peat Smoke is not as complex as the other bottles but is equally solid in its delivery. I find it more one-dimensional than the others, but it’s still a good dram. The 46% does make a difference and I would love to see the same ABV used in the other drams, as this one does not flatten out over time. This 15 yo bridges the gap nicely between the standard 10 yo and its big badass sister that is the 100 proof/cask strength. It has the boldness and richness from the 10 yo cask strength, yet due to the lower ABV it’s accessible enough for those who might find the 57% ABV beast to be a bit much. Benromach and owners Gordon & Macphail used to have, “It’s the wood that makes the whisky” as their baseline until a few years ago and and while, from today’s point of view, that might seem a tad simplistic, this 2016 expression is living proof of the company putting that theory into practice. Since its latest reopening in 1998, Benromach has built a good reputation among whisky aficionados but apart from that, it continues to fly under the radar – the recent label redesign notwithstanding. While the likes of GlenAllachie or Ardbeg steal the show with hyped-up releases, people at Benromach make no big fuss and let their whisky speak for itself. Maybe it is also due to their discretion that their whiskies remain vastly underestimated and are hence widely available at reasonable prices. A wonderfully complex dram with zesty fruits, chocolate and sherry influences, the added maturation adds a little more oak wood influence and spice over the 10 year old and 100° Proof expressions. A great price for a characterful 15 Year Old Speyside whisky. Score 88/100

Finish: Medium-long. Tannic and a bit nutty, with fading slight bitterness. Surprisingly dry and timid, considering the depth on the palate.