Benromach 100° Proof

Aroma: Chocolate, malt, hops, dry sherry, leather, subtle soft peat smoke, bracing oak tannin spices, and chili oil. Palate: Neat - an astringent yet oily arrival with abundant ginger spices, tannins, and a rich malty presence. Considering the high alcohol content, it's not particularly fiery at all. Honey, orange marmalade, and white pepper develop with a creamy caramel texture. With water - the arrival is sweeter and loses the high alcohol astringency, but is otherwise largely unchanged (unless it's over-watered). Finish: Long, leathery, and fades into a delightful smoky orange aftertaste. Adding a dash of water harmonizes the aroma nicely and releases a torrent of bittersweet and hot spices on the palate. A generous pour softens everything but diminishes some character. It holds up well until it's overwhelmed, then it suddenly fails. I would suggest savoring this one neat or with just a couple of drops. A good whisky with plenty of character, but not my preferred Benromach. I found more complexity in the standard 10-year-old (which is 43% ABV). This is essentially the same whisky with greater intensity, but for me, the subtleties were harder to appreciate here – both are 4-star whiskies. Tasted from a 0.03 L sample bottle. "Very Good": 86/100 (4 stars)

This is a really enjoyable dram. Initially, a soft creamy texture with a sharpness at the finish. Sour apple, vanilla, fudge, dried fruit, a hint of smoke on the palate. Aroma of cloves, mixed spice, a touch of smoke. I like the high ABV; it seems to mask some of the tasting notes at first but slowly reveals them over time. A fun and enjoyable expression.

An absolute delight. The aroma is reminiscent of an older whisky, with a lot happening. The sherry is prominent immediately. Rich vanilla and dark dried fruits are present, but not overpowering. I don't detect smoke, perhaps it will emerge after the bottle has some oxidation. It's non-chill filtered, but it's unclear if color has been added; it's quite dark. It's 57% ABV at 10 years old. A winner in my opinion.

The nose has caramel, pears, vanilla, and light smoke, along with cured meats. The palate is gingery and peppery with a strong kick; the alcohol content is intense. Rich sherry notes. The finish is medium and leathery with lingering smoke. This new batch (Batch 1) is fantastic, and that's likely influencing my score here a bit.

Aroma: hints of vanilla, pear, intense sherry notes, baked apple. Palate: raspberry, kumquat peel, a bit of wood smoke, slightly waxy. Finish: sweet, a slight bitterness, smoky.

CARAMEL, melted brown sugar, full honey 3 Strong spicy burn, nutty raisins, oily feel, malty 2 Malty, oaky 2.25 2.25