Benromach 15 Year

Nose: Somewhat light and potentially diluted. Faint sherry fruitiness. An underlying richness is present, yet the fullness is lacking. Cherry, apple, a hint of nut oil, a touch of lemon, a bit of mellow, dry smoke, and a slightly unusual mustiness. It might be a decent nose if it were just fuller. A touch of questionable meatiness with rock salt and faint pepper. Nevertheless, the fruitiness is pleasant. Palate: This is woodier than anticipated, with a strong sherry woodiness reminiscent of a bottle of North British 28 (1991) by Signatory. It seems slightly over-oaked, but nice spices (clove, black pepper, ginger) are present with bitter oaky nuances and occasional, faint hints of vanilla adding interest. A bit of musty spice. There's some malty sweetness, along with some flint, but also just a kind of flat woodiness and something slightly off-puttingly sour. At times, I question if that dry woodiness is actually smoke. I suppose some of it is smoke, but I believe it's predominantly wood. It just occurred to me that a good portion of that funkiness I've been trying to identify comes from a PX cask. It's not at all overwhelming, but it doesn't harmonize well with the dry smoke. Finish: Lingering sherry notes, but only as part of the sweetness emerges. A strong, somewhat tannic wood layer is present. Conclusion: The North British (17/23) is clearly superior. It's richer and fuller with fewer oddities. This one is maltier, but it's more confused and less engaging. I find this disappointing, and Dalmore 12 (15/23) is also better. The Dalmore offers a clean balance of malted barley with sherry and bourbon casks. This is funkier, but it's unbalanced, with peculiar flavor combinations that don't really mesh and a bitter layer that's difficult to overlook. Considering the Dalmore is a 15, I estimate this is in the 12 to 14 range. That PX flavor is becoming increasingly bothersome. It's hard to admit, but the clean flavor and balance of Monkey Shoulder (14/23) are a relief to taste afterward, although the youthfulness and ethanol are noticeable with the Monkey Shoulder. This isn't drastically different from the Monkey Shoulder, but I think I'd rate the Monkey Shoulder slightly higher. I'm also leaning towards favoring Benromach 10 over this. While I appreciate the maturity here, there are just enough issues that the younger but less flawed Benromach 10 is slightly more appealing. I'm settling on a 13. Benromach unfortunately seems to follow an approach of combining everything and hoping for the best. They really need to focus on specific flavors and achieve balance. Thank you to my friend for allowing me to try this. It's not to my preference, so you likely prevented me from purchasing a bottle.

Review #075 Type: single malt scotch Proof: 43% Details: aged 15 years, matured in a mix of 1st-fill bourbon and sherry casks Tasted after: first up Appearance (no score): Mahogany color. Swirling shows a thick line clinging to the glass, legs form slowly. Nose: 16/20 Plums, raisins, vanilla, cinnamon, dark chocolate, subtle sweet smoke, old worn leather, and a hint of orange zest. It's sweet, but also a bit earthy and musty, and nicely complex. Palate: 33/40 Ashes, bitter dark chocolate, orange rind, peat smoke, spicy oak tannins, burnt caramel, salt, and spent coffee grounds. Finish: 33/40 Medium-long finish. Its peppery, evoking flavors reminiscent of barbecue, a bit of baked apple sweetness appears along with some licorice as it slowly mellows out, ending with subtle hints of bitter oak tannins. With Water: A couple drops of water enhances the smoke profile on the nose and introduces some sticky sweet dark fruit notes to the palate. Total: 82/100 Final thoughts: This is a whisky that I think that surprises and punches above expectations. For starters, it’s not as fruity or sweet as I thought it might be based on the cask types and nose. Also the flavor profile and length of the finish are pleasantly bold, complex, and long for only being bottled at 43%. This is a solid bottle and nice slow sipper that I’ll probably eventually replace once it’s empty. Price: $95 Would recommend: yes Would buy: yes Scoring Legend: 96-100: The perfect dram, absolutely exceptional, nectar of the gods, I will savor this bottle and make it last, 5 stars. 90-95: Near perfect, there is something truly special about this whisky, 4.75 stars. 85-89: Very good to amazing, almost the complete product, 4.5 stars. 80-84: Quite good, very enjoyable to drink, but doesn’t wow me, 4.25 stars. 75-79: Good, enjoyable but ultimately flawed, unlikely to purchase again, 4 stars. 70-74: A solid dram, but wouldn't go out of my way to get it, 3.75 stars. 55-69: Drinkable, 3.5-2.75 stars. Below 55: Suitable for cooking or direct contribution to the kitchen sink drain, 2.5 stars or less.

After enjoying several glasses from this bottle, opened a couple of weeks ago, I'm ready to provide a proper assessment. I've participated in discussions about the new packaging and it seems I'm alone in preferring it over the older design. Subjectivity plays a role, of course, and with plenty of the old style still available, everyone can find their preference. I personally waited weeks to find a retailer stocking the updated look. To my knowledge, the spirit itself remains the same. I sampled the 10-year-old previously and enjoyed it immensely, so I felt confident with the 15-year-old. It certainly doesn't disappoint. The exclusive use of first-fill casks by Benromach significantly enhances the experience. Nose: Dried fruits with spice - grains mixed with trail mix - a delightful combination of fresh, sweet, and spicy notes - almost a touch salty - very rich - reminiscent of buttery, warm sweet corn with a hint of grainy sea salt - then strawberries, green mango, raspberries, red grapes without being overly sweet - subtle chocolate shavings - also a bit like freshly poured beer (IPA style) - just a whisper of peat, but enough to noticeably contribute to the overall profile. It's exceptionally good. Palate: Toasted dry spices of various kinds (juniper, pepper, nutmeg, cloves... that family of spice, with some salt) akin to a seasoning rub for a fine roast - plus a generous amount of dry herbs - leaning towards the drier side rather than oily - plus a mild sweetness that complements the spicy character wonderfully, making it rich and very engaging - the peat becomes slightly more pronounced here. Finish: Pleasantly woody - the spices linger on the entire palate and throat for an extended period. Overall, a truly remarkable whisky for those who appreciate more serious and spicy profiles. I could wish for a touch more smoothness/oiliness to grant it a top-tier rating. Nevertheless, it remains a fantastic whisky that can be savored and explored throughout an evening – its complexity is truly impressive in my view.

After sampling the Benromach 15 for several months, I can confirm it's outstanding. Initially, I struggled to articulate its appeal, but further investigation, aided by a fantastic Benromach tasting event recently, leads me to believe it's partly due to their lower distillation cut points. Benromach collects more distillate in the 60% ABV range for their main offerings, a lower threshold than typical. Maturing this additional spirit captures elusive "feinty" characteristics I adore: notes of leather, plastic, honey, dried tea, and tobacco. It's divine. Furthermore, the distillery employs brewer's yeast during fermentation, creating a murky wort and imparting a malt-forward structure evident in the aroma, taste, and aftertaste. Their malt is also peated to 12 ppm, which harmonizes beautifully with the sherry casks. Nose: Abundant red fruits like raspberries and cooked cherries; sweet frosted pastries; caramel-sweet candy bars and malted milk balls; smoke from fruitwood, barbecue sauce; the scent of rubber handles, plastic containers, shoe polish; aged leather books, worn leather satchel; an old cello case in a forgotten room. Palate: Quite malty, with malted milk balls, milk chocolate, a gentle sweetness, and a slight astringency from the sherry-seasoned oak. Finish: Moderate, sweet, and malty, with a distinct wisp of smoke. Recollection: Delaying tasks amidst the library shelves at a college, eating a vending machine candy bar for my evening meal. Score: 88

The description on the bottle holds true. This is a quintessential Speyside malt in every way. After sampling the imperial proof version, which is also impressive for a decade-old malt, I felt compelled to try this one, and it is indeed a robust malt. It has a rich caramel brown color, indicative of significant wood influence, and is captivating. The nose presents hints of toffee and subtle coffee bean undertones, with caramel aromas emerging after a few good sniffs and some air. This is where the malt's true character reveals itself. The flavor is pure Speyside, evoking other popular malts from similar age ranges. The oak is pronounced but well-integrated, creating a layered flavor that endures, complemented by a touch of sweet vanilla. The finish is exceptionally smooth. My conclusion is to buy it if you find it. It's difficult to find a Speyside of this age under $100 that competes in flavor profile with both the Macallan and Balvenie. A remarkable achievement, not surprising given its production under the stewardship of Gordon and Macphail.

Benromach has been somewhat disappointing recently. I've sampled several of their recent bottlings (with their new branding and marketing), and they haven't matched the quality of the older versions, which came in nearly fluorescent boxes indicating a reduction in the bottle contents. I've now tried this 15-year-old release, which won its category at the 2018 World Whiskies Awards. Bottled at 43% ABV. On the nose, there's a pleasant blend of fruit and peat. Notes of pear, grapefruit, stewed fruit, and incense are present. After the initial taste, I detected melon, leather, and hay. The palate begins with chocolate, a touch of saltiness, pear, and very nice grapefruit. The finish was the highlight. Smoky notes, hay, and grassy elements. Tobacco leaf. A hint of sweet glazed pork, ginger, and ash. Very refined. Overall, this was slightly better than some of their newer offerings (with the less appealing white labels), particularly in the finish where the peatiness was well-balanced. However, it still falls far short of most exceptional 15-year-old whiskies. My rating is 86 out of 100.