Benromach Classic Speyside 15 Years Old Whisky, 70 cl

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The arrival is oily, but the palate flattens over time. Those charcoal BBQ with honey sauce from the nose return, and mineral aspects dominate. More dried fruits with maple syrup and custard. Eucalyptus adds a fresh touch, while the subtle smoke turns into ashes. The finish is of medium length and warm. The sherry notes become more prominent towards the end; a chocolate bar appears while the earthy aspects, subtle smoke, and freshness linger on. The 15 year old expression – a lusciously rich Speyside single malt, with a soft smokiness and distinctive golden amber colour thanks to maturation in first-fill former sherry and bourbon casks – took the honour. No partnership, joint venture, agency, or employment relationship is created as a result of your use of the Service.

Pour yourself a dram of Benromach 15 Years Old. Lift it to the light and note the especially goldenamber colour, thanks to the long maturation in sherry and bourbon casks. Now swill it around your glass and take a few little inhalations tosavourtheAROMA WITHOUT WATER…there’s a lot going on… beautifully balanced sherry aromas with vanilla pod, zesty orange and spicy ginger complemented bydelicatechamomile and menthol notes. Now sip your dram, roll the whisky around your mouth and enjoy theTASTE WITHOUT WATER…there’sluscious, rich fruit cake with stewed plum, red apple skin and the sharp edge of kiwi fruit. Next, take in theAROMA WITH WATER…the whisky shifts into another gear with subtlehints of cocoa, nutmeg and cinnamon giving way tosweet honeynotes and hints of bonfire embers. Add a drop or two of water to release the fullTASTE WITH WATER…it’s a very satisfying palate with traces of charred oak complementing sweet tangerine, plum and nectarines… completed by agorgeoustouch of milk chocolate.Tell us what you think. Thanks to Benromach for the festive sample and timely revisit to this expression. My tasting notes:

Benromach 15 yo (43%, OB 2020)

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 The whisky remains dirty and earthy on the palate and plays on the same themes as the nose. The finish continues these themes but is rather short. The bonfire smoke lingers on for a while. Nose: Zesty, fruity, deep orange, blood orange, red grapefruit, heather honey, malty cereal barley, a touch of smoke, milky vanilla, ginger, milk chocolate, sherry trifle, a little floral too.

Our Service is an online platform which provides Members with information (e.g. bottle facts, market-indices, market values and prices) on (mostly) whisky and allows Members to add information to the platform. We do not sell, nor does the Service provide any option to buy, any alcoholic products. This is an exceptionally well-balanced and pleasing dram, with something for everyone – peat smoke, rich fruit, chocolate, herbs and spices. Entirely understandable that whisky-lovers from around the world nominated this classic Speyside single malt for the shortlist and a worthy winner of the title.’

Kate – Like smelling spring in the morning. The flowers are starting to bud. The mineral smell after a good rain. That is what the Benromach 15 reminds me of. Nose: Speyside meets Campbeltown – toffee apples, orange peels, honey and beeswax vs. gentle but unclean ashy smoke, surface cleaner and used oil. More overtly sherried than the 10 year old, this delivers stewed red berries, dusty wood cellars as well as some slightly tropicalness from pineapple. Oatmeal, tanned leather, lemon drop sweets and bitter chocolate all provide additional nuances. Full disclosure: I own an open bottle of the Benromach 10, and I have received samples of the other expressions from a colleague in a whisky group. Bottle code: 26/11/20 200990. In the beginning, the nose is rather closed off, but opens over time. This one is on the dirty side with machine oil, earth, and a smouldering bonfire which is about to turn into ashes. Roasted bacon with a dash of wild honey. Dark berries such as cassis and bramble add another layer to the bouquet.

Honestly, this is a staple here. When discussions came up that this would be reviewed by Adamh, I reached for mine to contribute - only to discover it’s gone. I bought this new bottle which came with the code 04/11/2021 inked onto the glass. This review covers only the second and third drams from the bottle which has only been open a day or two. Controversial; but I hugely prefer the new branding. The old transparent label looked terrible as soon as the bottle level dropped. We may, but are not under any obligation, to release new functionalities and tools or other features for the Service every now and then. Any new functionalities, tools and features shall be part of and governed by the Terms from the moment they are launched and/or available. Further, we reserve the right to modify, change, discontinue the Service, add or remove features, update the Service, change its appearance, temporarily and permanently, at any time, in whole or any part thereof. Finish: Medium-long. Tannic and a bit nutty, with fading slight bitterness. Surprisingly dry and timid, considering the depth on the palate. If any provision of these Terms is held invalid, the remainder of the Terms shall continue in full force and effect. Prices are listed below and the range is widely distributed. Preferably, we should support our local dealers and have a wee chat with them while we’re there as they might have further bottles to explore.A pleasant weighty texture and a more noticeable degree of smokiness that carries through into the finish. Highland Toffee, some bitterness from the wood but not forceful. Sawdust and white chocolate on the finish. Green peppercorns, tarragon come midway along with cask char. The longer maturation softens its smokiness to hints of charred smoke while developing the wood imbued character of succulent honey, vanilla and fruit.’ With Water: A few drops of water highlight brighter fruit notes on the nose, and add peanut butter to the palate. The water also balances out the sherry and the tannic notes better. The Service has been prepared by us solely for information purposes to Members and the Service is based on information we consider reliable and we obtain the contents of the Service from a number of different third party sources (including Contributions), but we do not endorse, support, represent, warrant or guarantee the completeness, truthfulness, accuracy, or reliability of the Services and any information therein.

The 10 is the clear winner for me, and a good standard overall. Age isn’t everything, especially when sherry casks step more into the equation. Now, don’t get me wrong, both of these are enjoyable pours and have a bit more substance and soul compared to many other distilleries. But when you compare the prices with the experiences offered and debate value; the 10yo comes out on top. 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. 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. Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival 20th Anniversary Edition Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival 2019

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The longer maturation softens its smokiness to hints of charred smoke while developing the wood imbued character of succulent honey, vanilla and fruit. What I say