Old School

In 2009 Gordon & Macphail – the company that owns Benromach – was able to launch the first ever 10 Year Old of their own production. An important milestone, to be sure. Strangely enough, I did not do well immediately. When it was relaunched in 2014, in a smart new packaging, it did get noticed and since then it sells like cupcakes. The Benromach 10 Year Old even won quite a few awards already. It was followed by a Benromach 10 Year Old 100° Proof (meaning 57,0% ABV), which is also met with nothing but kudos. Well, there is little choice but to give it a try then, eh?

The nose is very special – a bit old school. I can hardly call it fruity. I do get some blood oranges, but then also some shoe polish, mahsed potatoes and some salt. Loads of walnuts and a bit of eucalyptus. Yes, very special, but also very good.

The whisky has a great body. It hits the taste buds with walnuts, apples and blood oranges, autumn leaves and some stockfish. A nice smokiness develops (that has nothing to do with peat) with some spices. I am reminded of pepper, wasabi and ginger. Hint of chewing tobacco. The saltiness becomes big. Great balance.

The finish is very long, dry like leather on oranges and walnuts.

Wow, what a great whisky indeed. Not for beginners, I dare venture. Adding a teaspoon of water is no luxury.

Benromach 100 proof 10 yo | 57.1% | 22 + 22 + 21 + 21 = 86pts
N: Peat-pepper, with a slight hues of fruit, closed, then opened into rubber and smoked meat, red apples, chocolate cookies with cinnamon, orange peel and malt.
T: The dryness of the wood, the sweetness of dried fruit, a bit of honey and baking.
F: Dry, tart wood, apples, astringency and bitterness of dark chocolate.
B: A much more intense and thoughtful history this time, on the floor of the head is exactly above the base ten.

The bottle I bought in 2019 varies significantly from the one i got in 2017 in colour, smell and taste. 2019 is much lighter, rogher with less sweet, less intense, much drier sherry notes. I guess Benromach is running out of high quality sherry casks. The fact that the 10 year old at 57% is beeing discontinued supports that theory. Anyway, this is still superb whisky with the full Benromach package of gunpowder, briny smokiness, chalk and clay.

Like the normal, only stronger and more intense. First a little more alcohol, then a lot of vanilla, some fruit and the nice, slightly sooty note. In the mouth then very strong on fruit, oak, vanilla, spices and light, sooty peat, as well as menthol. Depart ment then a lot of menthol, oak, some soot and towards the end a bit sweeter. Slightly sulphurous sherry flavors and some tobacco. Great part.