Benromach 19000th whisky


August 15, 2023

Benromach officials vs. independent

Benromach

An independent Benromach is not something you find easily, except at Gordon & MacPhail back in the day, of course. But today, hooray, we have a new one! First, some very intriguing new official bottlings... Oh, by the way, please note that the third note will be my nineteen-thousandth for a whisky. On to the twentieth-thousandth, and then we'll see...

Benromach 2012/2023 'Air Dried Oak' (46%, OB, Contrasts, first fill)

The idea is to showcase different methods of drying the oak before making barrels, and their organoleptic effects. In this specific case, the planks were air-dried for 36 months, which seems to be the most traditional method in coopering for whisky. Naturally, this is first-fill 'virgin' oak. Colour: gold. Nose: well, you do feel the oak, its spices, especially curry powders, cinnamon, paprika, nutmeg, as well as a lot of pencil shavings. All this is certainly pretty different, but very pleasant too, while it seems to me that they've used some gentler distillate. Then we find the usual softer custard and caramel cream, crème brûlée and so on. Mouth: great fun, this is totally oak-driven, but the sweet spiciness is working extremely well. Bananas stewed in cinnamon sauce, with more nutmeg and curry. In other words, bananas flambéed in India (ha!) Finish: medium, all on sweet spices and some cedarwood that gives it a mentholy and piney profile in the end. Comments: not sure whether this was full maturing or matured in virgin oak for three years or a little more, but I'm rather fond of the results, even if they remain a tad 'too modern' for this traditionalist (*).
SGP:651 - 83 points.

(*) Always remember what Mahler said, "Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire." Mahler was an avant-gardist.
Update: according to our friend Arndt it was not Mahler, rather French politician Jean Jaurès (1859 – 1914) who said that. More or less...

Benromach 2012/2023 'Kiln Dried Oak' (46%, OB, Contrasts, first fill, 2023)

This time the oak was only air dried for 24 months, then kilned for a short period of time. Colour: gold, very faintly darker. Nose: close, but a tad fruitier and a little less on pencil shavings. I also find it a little more floral, with some jasmine, also blood oranges. I believe the differences should be even more obvious on the palate, let's see… Mouth: this kiln-dried Benromach anytime. More lemon and grapefruit, lemon marmalade, orange blossom honey, Thai coriander, lemongrass, cough drops, cracked pepper… Anytime, really, a no-brainer. Finish: you still feel a few wood shavings and a wee plankish side, but the 'Thai-style citrus' is always having the upper hand. Comments: of course, we remain in very similar styles, but in the end, this 'Kiln Dried' wins hands down in my opinion.
SGP:651 - 86 points.

Of course, one could also see this experimentation as a way to demonstrate the enormous importance of oak in whisky making. But to me, it's self-evident, because obviously, if you put in a lot of wood, it will have a great influence, and if you add less, it will have less. All of this is very tautological. Let's have the indie…

Glen Mosset 10 yo 2013/2023 (54.2%, Maltbarn, bourbon, 135 bottles)

It is a single malt. I suppose this was refill bourbon, but the great folks at Maltbarn wouldn't tell (right, we didn't ask them anyway). As for the name 'Mosset', it could refer to the 'Burn of Mosset', in Forres, a tributary of the River Findhorn that feeds a pond named 'Sanquhar Pond', which was created in 1900 to supply cooling water to Benromach Distillery (thank you, The Moray Ways!) But naturally, that's no proof of anything…

Glen Mosset 10 yo 2013/2023 (54.2%, Maltbarn, bourbon, 135 bottles)

Colour: straw. Nose: if this is not Benromach, it is extremely Benromachian, which is great news for sure. Some kinds of smoky oils, new leather, new electronics, speculoos, coal, fatter waxes, touches of suet, citrons (as we already found them in the officials), toolbox, silverware, fern, pinecones, charcoal… In truth the complexity here is amazing while we sure aren't far from the wonderful 'regular' Benromachs, such as the 10 yo 100°proof, which is outstanding – if you can find it. With water: some metallic mud and spent oils. Typical. Mouth (neat): immense young Benr… Mosset, with these few flaws that we love so much (this sooty/salty sourness, for example, winner in my book, possibly a flaw elsewhere). Superb citrus, mineral smoke, root vegetables, turnips and parsnips, oils… With water: fatter, tops, easier. Some caraway. Finish: long and fat and mineral. Comments: wait, unless 'Glen Mosset' would be a secret brand name owned by a certain distillery in Campbeltown, which according to the profile of this wee whisky, wouldn't be totally impossible. Right. My alley.
SGP:563 - 89 points.

I hope we ruffled no feathers today, and so, on to my twentieth-thousandth whisky...

Check the index of all Benromach we've tasted so far