But now back to the Benromach 35 Years Old. It has no vintage year on the label, but since this bottling just came out, the casks were laid down either in 1980 or 1981, which was only a few years before Benromach closed (1983) and way before Gordon & MacPhail acquired the distillery and brought it back to life (1993-1998).

Facts

Nose

Super complex and very lovely, although I expected more sherry. No complaints though. Starts with pleasant beehive notes (wax, warm honey) and progresses with cooked kiwis, apple juice and orange zest marmalade. A little cinnamon for good measure. Then something leathery, a old leather couch perhaps.

Taste

Bitter sweet harmony with a fruity touch. Cigar tobacco, cooked bananas and baked red apples with nutmeg and cinnamon, complemented by hints of lemon zest and cacao powder. Delicate touches of cracked pepper corns and toasted oak are lingering in the background.

Finish

Long. Cacao powder, sweet tobacco and bitter orange oil, followed by oak and a bit of mint.

Overall

Funny enough, this expression feels more “modern” than some of the way younger Benromachs I reviewed last week. However, its freshness is what surprised me the most considering the three and a half decades in first-fill sherry casks. That said, this is a dangerously good and delightfully malt, although I’m not a big fan of bottling a whisky this old at anything but cask strength.

Score: very good and highly recommended (90 / 100)

Sample provided by Gordon & MacPhail

In order to create their ‘Peat Smoke’ expression, Benromach uses heavily peated barley instead of the medium peated barley (12ppm) they usual use to give their whisky that special pre-1960’s Speyside character. According to whiskybase, the barley for this release had a peat level of 62ppm, which puts the Benromach Peat Smoke 2006 in the same league as some of the Islay Single Malts as far as the peatiness goes — at least on paper.

Facts

Nose

Peaty but not that smoky if that makes sense. Besides that, pretty much everything you would expect from a 1st Fill Bourbon Barrel: sweet vanilla, white honey, bananas, lemon cream cake and peaches. Nice, but everything is a bit too light.

Taste

Bonfire and somewhat stronger peat. Bitter oranges, mealy apples, grapefruit and nectarines.

Finish

Rather long and sweetish with peat, ash and citrus peels.

Overall

Not bad, but nothing to write home about either. It’s light and fresh, but lacks any real depth.

Score: good but not exceptional (82 / 100)

Before we start, make sure to also check out my other reviews from today: Benromach Organic 2008, Benromach Hermitage 2005 and Benromach Château Cissac 2006.

Facts

Nose

A bit of an old barn — sun dried wood, hey and dust. Then red berries, dried orange peels, vanilla and nougat chocolate. A whiff of cinnamon. Very little smoke.

Taste

Fat, oily and again, very little smoke. More red berries. Caramel, lemon zest and wood. A bit peppery.

Finish

Medium, dry earth and a bit spicy. Cinnamon, citrus zest, dried oak and sweet tobacco.

Overall

Solid, but I’m not sure if spirit and cask complement each other well or not. This is definitely my least favorite from Benromach’s Wood Finish Series. That said, maybe Benromach isn’t really meant for wine fishes in general.

Score: good but not exceptional (81 / 100)

Facts

Nose

Watermelon and red apples, alongside hints of dark berries. Orange zest with cinnamon. Wood smoke, motor oil and diesel, followed by vanilla, caramel chocolate and creamy oak.

Taste

Rather sweet with creamy smoke. Ripe red apples, lemon zest, dark chocolate and a sip of honeyed espresso. A bit peppery. Herbs and a few slices of ginger. Malt.

Finish 

Medium and peppery. Lots of cinnamon. Dark honey and coffee. A puff of smoke.

Overall

I’m sorry to say this, but I find this expression rather bland. Not bad, just not very inspiring, either.

Score: good but not exceptional (82 / 100)

Facts

Nose

Very complex. Red apples and red berries alongside hints of zesty lemons and gooseberries. Notable smoke with a medicinal touch. A little bit of vanilla and cinnamon in the back.

Taste

Intense with a good balance of sweet fruits and strong spices. Oranges, wild berries, milk chocolate and blossom honey, as well as wood and cinnamon. Notable peat smoke, again with a light medicinal touch.

Finish

Long. Ash and old smoke. Mint and oranges. Hints of oak.

Overall

Very complex with a good balance of peat smoke, fruit and spice. One of the better examples of a good made red wine finish.

Score: good but not exceptional (85 / 100)

I already reviewed the 5 Years Old, 10 Years Old, 100° Proof and 15 Years Old yesterday, so let’s talk about their Wood Finish Series today. But before we do so, let’s first have a truly “green” Benromach.

The Benromach Organic derives its name from the fact that it meets the very high standards set by the UK Soil Association for growing the ingredients, distillation, maturation and bottling. This was a unique concept back in 2006 when the expression was launched and surprisingly enough, it is still very rare today. There is simply not a lot organic whisky to choose from, so maybe the demand just isn’t there?

Facts

Nose

Ah yes, the Virgin Oak cask brings in lots of bananas at first, followed cacao powder, sweet vanilla, blossom honey and a whole bunch of caramel. Some citrus fruits, most notable oranges and pomelos. Pencil shavings. A puff of peat smoke.

Taste

Fat and oily with honeydew melons, nougat and blossom honey, alongside hints of banana juice. Oak, but not too much. A bit peppery. Traces of peat ash in the back.

Finish

The bitter-sweet finish is rather long with ginger and some earthy and peppery notes.

Overall

A great example of a fine young malt matured in well selected Virgin Oak Casks. Simply good, but a bit more mainstream than the 5 and 10 Years Old.

Score: good but not exceptional (85 / 100)

Facts

Nose

Dry and a bit Oloroso-unlike if I may add. Creamy orange pudding with plums, dried figs and dried lemon zest. Dusty leather, walnuts and hints of vanilla appear next. Some waxy undertones. Very little earthy smoke.

Taste

Sweet sherry with oranges and cacao powder alongside hints of vanilla and white pepper. The smoke is a tad stronger now, but still very gentle. Plums and honeyed figs followed by sweet tobacco and soy sauce.

Finish

Long. Green pepper, cinnamon and orange zest marmalade, completed by a smoky whiff. Lingering peppermint.

Overall

Not as intense as the 10 Year Old, but still very good. I would love to try this one at a higher strength, let’s say 46%.

Score: very good and highly recommended (87 / 100)

Facts

Nose

A great combination of stewed fruits and sweet apple wood smoke. Apples, kiwis and plum jam alongside licorice and sweet mustard. Fresh oak and furniture polish as well as hints of menthol and vanilla beans. Way more “American” than the standard edition.

Taste

Dry, dusty and very spicy. Sweet medicine and light earthy smoke, followed by plums, oranges, bananas and sugar with cinnamon. Hints of vanilla and sweet tobacco.

Finish

Long and dry. Oak, cooked bananas, bitter oranges, cinnamon and a whiff of menthol.

Overall

Another superb Benromach! I’m not sure if it’s actually “better” than the standard edition, but it’s really, really good for sure.

Score: very good and highly recommended (89 / 100)

Facts

Nose

A really, really complex nose for 10 year-old. Kinda fruity with green apples, peaches, oranges and plums, but the fruitiness is rather stewed than fresh. Sweet, but not overly sweet sherry comes to the foreground. Next come chocolate fudge, almonds with powdered sugar and dark chocolate cookies, joined by freshly polished leather shoes and wax paper. Maybe some very light peat smoke in the background.

Taste

Full-bodied and medium sweet. At first pretty smoky and phenolic, but gets fruitier over time with oranges, sultanas and honey. Perhaps one or two black pepper corns, but not more.

Finish

Long. Smoky and grassy with sweet sherry, soft wood and hints of salt. A bit peppery around the edges.

Overall

I am not exaggerating when I say that this is probably one of the best “standard whiskies” out there. In fact, it’s probably also better than some of the older whiskies I had so far. What a stunning and pleasantly old-fashioned dram. Fantastic!

Score: very good and highly recommended (89 / 100)

Alright, the first one for today is of course the Benromach 5 Years Old. How refreshing to have a young single malt that doesn’t hide its age behind some fantasy name! Anyways, this expression is matured in a mix of bourbon (80%) and sherry (20%) casks and is meant to replace the old Benromach Traditional, at least from what I understand.

Facts

Nose

Fresh, clean and appealing. Very lemony at first with a good portion of peat ash and some grassy undertones. Then more fruity with red apples and mandarins. A sweet touch of caramel, white honey, soft nougat and sweet cereals.

Taste

Surprisingly oily. Really nice notes of fresh fruits and sweet malt. Red apples, vanilla and a bit of pepper. Some light hints of peat smoke.

Finish

Not too short. Dry and peppery with hints of citrus peels, caramel and maybe some salt as well. Again light hints of peat smoke.

Overall

A honest and super well-made young malt. Kudos to Benromach for putting an age statement on their youngest bottling instead of following the NAS trend.

Score: good but not exceptional (84 / 100)