Nine new Benromachs


November 12, 2024

Nine new Benromachs (waxing lyrical)

This is probably the twenty-five-thousandth time we've made this little two-penny joke. Anyway, we are delighted to have a few new Benromachs lined up, and today is a good day to taste them – at least some of them.

Benromach 10 yo (43%, OB, +/-2024)

We revisit the ten-year-old, a beloved dram that warrants our attention every three or four years, so we’ll keep this swift. It typically garners a WF 87 from us, even with its modest bottling strength. Colour: light gold. Nose: damp earth, pepper, leather, mustard, oranges, hay, capers, and wet chalk. Yes, spot on. Mouth: tobacco, smoked meat, cough lozenges, bitter oranges, then a briny martini with an olive. Finish: rather long, saline, with richly smoked bacon and a touch of lemon zest, leading to a second martini impression. Comments: all is well, familiar and delightful as ever, we’re happy to continue appreciating this.
SGP:463 – WF 87 points.

Benromach 9 yo 2014/2024 ‘Contrasts: Unpeated’ (46%, OB, bourbon and sherry)

Is Benromach without peat like Jimmy Page without a guitar? Let’s find out... Colour: pale gold. Nose: well, this proves that Benromach’s character isn’t solely reliant on peat. It stays true to the distillery’s profile with a distinctive earthy quality, quite coastal with hints of clay and slate. There’s also a tiny touch of mustard and a note reminiscent of a certain Campbeltown distillery. Mouth: the richness of the 10-year-old makes a return, with leather, tobacco, ripe apples, and a smattering of dried fruits, particularly dried pear. Finish: not so different from ‘regular’ Benromach after all. Comments: I still prefer the 10-year-old, but this unpeated expression is both very good and intriguing. To be honest, there’s still a hint of smoke in there.
SGP:552 – 85 points.

Benromach 10 yo 2014/2024 (59.6%, OB, Germany Exclusive, first fill sherry hogshead, cask #486, 305 bottles)

I found all the recent vintage single casks from 2011, 2012, or 2013 to be superb, whether matured in bourbon or sherry. Colour: gold. Nose: sulphur (let’s say intrinsic sulphur), asparagus, then walnuts, paraffin, lamp oil, chestnut cream, Iberian ham, fresh tobacco… Utterly charming with that wild edge we love. It’s fascinating how well the sulphur integrates—far from cabbage soup or town gas. With water: now hitting full-on shoe polish, plus a whiff of rabbit warren and well-hung grouse. Wild indeed. Mouth (neat): a powerhouse of ginger, bitter oranges, seawater, peat, green walnuts, and so forth. With water: a surprising freshness appears behind those intense, pronounced notes of leather, tobacco, and salt. The oranges shine through… Finish: very long, spicier, yet the oranges continue to set the tone and maintain the balance. Comments: we should be sending bottles to every capital in conflict. Alas, history shows that the worst leaders are often the ones who don’t drink, while they could.
SGP:563 – 89 points.

Benromach 11 yo 2013/2024 (61.1%, OB, Germany Exclusive, first fill bourbon barrel, cask #835, 231 bottles)

I’ve got a bit of a hunch here... Colour: straw. Nose: as gentle as a lamb at first, with custard and orange cake, then comes chalk, leather, a touch of smoked fish, thyme, seaweed, camphor, and mint. With water: cigar smoke and a pu-ehr tea cake join the mix. Mouth (neat): an initial burst of fierce grapefruit and green and pink peppercorns, all draped in candle wax. With water: seawater, oysters, and lemons make an entrance. Finish: long, crisp, lively, but turning richer and fruitier towards the end. Always those citrus notes. Comments: perhaps it wasn’t obvious, but we adored this one; its purity and crystalline profile are truly stunning.
SGP:563 – 90 points.

Benromach 10 yo 2014/2024 (60.2%, LMDW, Artist #14, first fill bourbon barrel, cask #384, 244 bottles)

What a lovely label! Has a touch of COBRA about it, I think. Colour: straw. Nose: a touch gentler and more reserved than the previous one, leaning towards pastries and croissants. I suspect water will be transformative... With water: not dramatically so; it remains impeccably refined and pure, now with added ashes alongside the polish. A touch of Organza. Mouth (neat): almost identical to the 2013 official release for Germany on the palate, which is excellent news. Waxes, grapefruit, salinity, grape seed oil—it’s superb. With water: reminiscent of ‘Campbeltown’ at the same age. Waxes, oils, citrus, hints of hydrocarbons, and a touch of fern. Finish: stays consistent for a good while, with a bit of eucalyptus. Comments: like the best batches of Sp******k 10-year-old.
SGP:563 – 90 points.

Benromach 19 yo 2005/2024 (59%, LMDW, Artist #14, first fill sherry butt, cask #164, 264 bottles)

La Maison du Whisky is featuring several new Benromach in this delightfully posh series (which I quite enjoy, haha). Colour: straw. Nose: there must be some mistake—this is high-grade manzanilla, just a touch stronger than usual. Walnuts, curry, mustard, brine, and wild crab apples. Bring on the langoustines, please. With water: tiger balm, eucalyptus, and wintergreen join in… Convenient, as I could use a bit of muscle relief. Mouth: what a sherry cask! Fino, perhaps? Curry, walnuts, salt, shellfish, mustard, chalk—all present and correct. With water: an exceptional whisky. More menthol and salted liquorice appear. Finish: long and oily, yet pure and highly mineral. Comments: I have something to tell you…
SGP:453 – 91 points.

Here it is—I am currently putting together a new list of my personal ‘grand cru’ whiskies. It’s far from complete and it could take years, but I can already share a brief extract. Bear in mind, some are missing, but as it stands, you’ll see that Benromach holds a prominent place on the list. Ardbeg (Scotland), Ardnamurchan (Scotland), Ben Nevis (Scotland), Benromach (Scotland), Brora (Scotland), Chichibu (Japan), Clynelish (Scotland), Daftmill (Scotland), Domaine des Hautes Glaces (France), Hellyers Road (Australia), Millstone/Zuidam (Netherlands), Port Ellen (Scotland), Shizuoka (Japan), Smögen (Sweden), Springbank (Scotland). Nothing earthshattering yet, to be continued…

Benromach 21 yo 2002/2024 (56.6%, OB, Capital Whisky Club Exclusive, first fill bourbon barrel, cask #971, 170 bottles)

A special release for the discerning Capital Whisky Club in London, promising a dram of exceptional pedigree. Colour: light gold, shimmering with an enticing glow (lol). Nose: intriguingly oily at first, with a fleeting metallic edge and an unexpected, whimsical touch of ultra-premium cat biscuits (yes, really) intertwined with dried floral bouquets. This idiosyncratic opening soon unfurls into a more traditional Benromach profile, rich in citrus zest, chalky undertones, and a breath of moss. With water: fare thee well, feline fancy; a classic Benromach emerges with signature notes of shoe polish, lemon, paraffin, earth, and chalk. Mouth (neat): spot-on, bursting with peppery warmth, lemon oil, chalk dust, green apples, and a whisper of briny oysters. Absolutely no hint of any sort of cat snacks here. With water: pristinely refined, echoing industrial oils, lemon peel, flinty minerality, and crisp apple. Finish: long, balancing weighty, oily depth with a taut, clean line. An accomplishment few distilleries can replicate; Springbank comes to mind. Comments: disregard any feline whims; this is another sumptuous Benromach to savour.
SGP:552 – 91 points.

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 series presentation. Colour: full gold, deep and inviting. Nose: age is gracefully stepping in, with whispers of rancio setting the tone alongside aged pu-ehr tea, a well-kept cigar box, and the exotic warmth of thuja wood reminiscent of a Marrakesh souk. Pine needles and cedar wood weave through, with hints of earthy bidis adding a subtle wisp of smoke. With water: rare and luxurious varnishes emerge, conjuring memories of aged bourbons like Very Old Fitzgerald—utterly breath-taking. Mouth (neat): simply outstanding! Layers of walnut wine, ancient herbal liqueurs, venerable chartreuse, and a rich orange-and-bergamot fudge come together in an intricate dance of flavours. With water: so beautiful it’s almost overwhelming, bursting with intensely concentrated spices and herbs, evoking a distinctly Eastern mystique. Finish: immensely long, leaving impressions of fine varnish, resinous gum, toasted sesame, salty liquorice, and a delicate, almost precious broth. Comments: a sublime, tertiary-aged Benromach of monumental stature. The artistry isn’t limited to the bottle’s label; it sings within the whisky itself (forgive the cliché, S.). And what an expression of sherry!
SGP:562 – 92 points.

One last one. You shouldn't overindulge in (very) good things.

Benromach 25 yo 1998/2024 (50.3%, LMDW, Artist #14, first fill bourbon barrel, cask #197, 160 bottles)

Among the very first distillations carried out by the new custodians, Gordon & MacPhail. It’s always a fascinating exercise to unearth these early intentions—akin to the initial ‘new’ Bruichladdichs distilled just a couple of years after this venerable Benromach. What a masterstroke by G&M at the time. Colour: gold. Nose: a part of that trademark tautness and crisp profile has mellowed; instead, we encounter aged fir wood, menthol, balms, and exceedingly ripe bananas with a hint of patchouli… One for the boomer crowd? With water: damp autumn leaves, soapwort, an old cardigan adorned with glam badges—T-Rex, Sweet, Bowie, the whole shebang. Mouth (neat): an improvement over the nose, provided one has a soft spot for mead and slightly aged olive oil. There’s lovely beeswax and a delicate orange peel dipped in chocolate. With water: to be frank, it’s delightfully charming, but not quintessentially ‘Benromach’, as if they hadn’t yet perfected the formula that now works wonders. Was it an early, different peat protocol, perhaps? Pure speculation… Finish: medium in length, with stewed fruits and herbal infusions. Comments: unquestionably excellent, though I’d say its more recent siblings have outshone it considerably. Apologies, Benromach!
SGP:541 - 87 points.

Nine Benromach, that’s quite something, right.

(Thank you, Luke)

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