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Benromach
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Benromach
distillery is located in Forres, Morayshire
and within the Speyside whisky region.
It
was founded in 1898 by a partnership between Duncan McCallum
and FW. Brickman a spirit merchant.
It
was opened in 1900 but unfortuantley closed shortly
afterwards.
Duncan McCallum operated the distillery under his sole
ownership between 1907-1910, but under the name "Forres" and not
Benromach. |
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Benromach burst into life again after WWI
only to close again in 1931.
ASD (Associated
Scottish Distillers) purchased Benromach in 1938, but were
themselves to become part of DCL in 1953.
The
distillery was refurbished and rebuilt throughout the 1960's
& 70's but closed once again in 1983
1992
Saw Benromach purchased by Gordon & MacPhail the independent
bottler and it was finally officially reopened (again) in 1998
by Prince Charles.
General whisky characteristics: Creamy, smooth, short |
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Benromach, Traditional,
40% ABV
Original cost of
this bottle; €€€€€ |
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Glass:
Classic Malt
Colour: Gold
Nose:
Stables.
Hints of hay, straw, barns, leather, polish & a little
antiseptic cream.
Palate:
Creamy and smooth, almost melon ice cream.
Finish:
Short and slightly bitter, perhaps a cross between melon and
grapefruit.
Overall Impression:
Smoother and creamier than the nose would suggest, but lacking a
little depth and 'ooomph'. |
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Benromach, 10y,
43% ABV
Original cost of
this bottle; €€€€€ |
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Glass:
Spiegelau
Colour:
Light gold
Nose:
Slightly antiseptic
hay and barn. As if the barn has just been cleaned out and
sterilised. With leather riding boots left in the corner.
Palate:
Smooth but a slightly watery mouth feel. The grass/hay, barn and
leather are present, but so is some fresh fruit along the lines
of star fruit, melon or possibly kiwi.
Finish:
Quite long, slightly bitter and fruity with hints of leather.
Overall Impression:
This
one packs a fair amount of that 'ooomph', but has lots of
farmyard mixed in with slightly bitter fruit. |
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Benromach,
2001, distilled 2001, bottled 2010,
59.9% ABV
Original cost of
this bottle; €€€€€
Reviewed as part of
MMA 2011 |
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Glass:
Classic Malt
Colour:
Very
pale yellow
Nose:
Now
this is immediately unusual; I almost have a Chinese take-away
in my glass, it's very reminiscent of a light Chinese meal with
lots of (boiled) rice. Afforded more time this expands to
include dried wood and a hint of aromatic outdoor swimming pool.
It then returns to a Chinese take-away theme with a sweet & sour
fruitiness. All this may sound strange, but the nose works very
well and I happen to like it.
Palate:
A
creamy leafiness spreads across the palate, followed by vanilla
and faint liquorice, perhaps even a suggestion of pumpkin soup
with toasted almond or even pumpkin oil as a dressing.
Finish:
Long,
slightly dry, faintly toasted.
Overall Impression:
Between the nose and palate this may sound like a banquet in a
glass, in fact it's a whisky with lots happening and is even
well balanced. I like it, lots. |
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Benromach,
30y,
43% ABV
Original cost of
this bottle; €€€€€
Reviewed as part of
MMA 2011 |
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Glass:
Classic Malt
Colour:
Glowing amber in midday sun
Nose:
Starts
slowly or faintly but with a definite suggestion of aged oak.
Then comes a hint of traditional wax furniture polish and a
mixture of dark sherried fruits. After 2-3 minutes it gains a
light leafiness but as more time passes the polished wood
expands further to provide an extremely aromatic whisky.
Palate:
Very
smooth and creamy mouth-feel with plenty of aromatic wood and
creamy vanilla. Also some hints of cherry and burgundy, the wine,
not the colour.
Finish:
Long,
sophisticated and smooth
Overall Impression:
Excellent, a marvellous whisky which almost reached 'greatness'
on my scale. |
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Benromach,
Rare
Malts Selection, 19y, 63.8% ABV
Original cost of
this bottle; €€€€€
Thanks to Steffen
for the sample during Limburg 2015 |
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Glass:
Classic Malt
Colour:
Light
yellow gold
Nose:
Rolled
roast pork stuffed with apple. Pardon? Yes, it's lightly
aromatic but my overall impression is of a Sunday roast pork
joint and apple or apple sauce.
Palate:
No
roast pork here but lots of honey-style sweetness with a lovely
creamy mouth-feel but obviously high ABV from the tingle.
Finish:
Long
and gentle.
Overall Impression:
I
can't get over that roast pork (but in a nice way), I really
like this one.
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Benromach,
35y, 43% ABV
Original cost of
this bottle; €€€€€
Sample thanks to
MMA 2016 |
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Glass:
Classic Malt
Colour:
Polished teak
Nose:
Initially fresh and fruity before suggestions of musty leather
and something woody like banana stem or liquorice root come to
the fore. Perhaps even a touch of cinnamon too?
Palate:
Definitely quite woody and fruity (raisin, plum, damson?)
offering lots of gentle sherry cask character.
Finish:
Almost everlasting.
Overall Impression:
Delightfully luxurious, rich, deep and at the same time not too
overpowering. A 'Great'.
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Exclusive Malts, Benromach,
'Glenmosset', 1999,
11y,
55.2% ABV
David Stirk's
Creative Whisky Co.
Original cost of
this bottle; €€€€€ |
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Glass:
Classic Malt
Colour:
Rich
polished oak - dark amber
Nose:
Raisins, figs and prunes combine to provide the body of a dark
fruit cocktail, whilst dark cherries provide a little extra
background along with a suggestion of aged wood.
Palate:
Those
dark fruits also appear on the palate along with the aged wood,
but these are joined by something almost rubbery in a sligthly
smoky kind of way. This does seem to be crying out for a few
drops of water.
With 4 drops of
water: That wood from the nose has gained some salt to become
quite maritime and remind me of my fabled Atlantic jetty, nice!
The palate initially comes across as warmed (red) berries
alongside the wood.
A further 4 drops
of water: Hints of rubber are now added to the nose, whilst the
palate increases in intensity.
5 More drops of
water: The nose is now even more 'maritime' as the wood, salt &
smoke increase, but so does the rubber which means I now have a
rubber dinghy moored to my Atlantic jetty. The palate is
suddenly lighter, smoother and less intense, with less rubber
too, whilst the fruit is increased to provide a more 'balanced'
character.
Finish:
Long,
longer and a little more pepper with water.
Overall Impression:
A very interesting whisky which I feel improves
with water. Very good too. |
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