Benromach Peat Smoke Sherry Cask Matured 2010

Very rarely do I purchase a bottle without tasting it first these days. This one I took a chance on as it came 2nd in 2019 out of around 70 - 80 whiskies in one of our local whiskey retailers' formal tasting events. How the format works is every month they do a tasting. Last month they did a single cask Benriach selection which I attended. This month I'm attending a single cask Glendronach session. Each session they crown a winner, and at the end, they have a 'Best of the year' session where they take the top whiskey from each session and taste them all together. Now, this whiskey came top of its round and then 2nd in the 'Best of the year' session, with 1st place being a 27-year single cask Glendronach literally 5 times the price. Now it sold out like lightning, and I only found a bottle as one retailer's entry didn't appear on Google (I've found a few hard-to-get gems by direct searching on the site rather than relying on Google). Anyway, I got literally the last bottle in NZ, most likely. https://www.regionalwines.co.nz/blogs/news/big-whiskies-battle-it-out-at-best-of-the-best Fast forward a couple of months, and to commemorate a distiller legend re-entering the tasting ring, I cracked open the bottle and included it in an 18-flight lot currently winging its way to VA, USA, with a partial on-forwarding to NY to another distiller giant. Once open and after a bourbon barrel-aged ale and Christmas pudding stout (hey, it's a public holiday here, so all good for a session!), I thought I really should try it before part of its journey lands on US shores. So here the story takes a plot twist. I poured a dram with a little water, and... as the distiller reviews say, metallic... it really is. And thinner compared to, say, the Benromach 10 or 15. You get an acidic type of peat, the sherry all coming together, but it's not really a dram for me. How could 100-ish whiskey connoisseurs rate this so highly? Is it a whiskey that shines amongst others? Do you need food? More time? Now, it's not bad; I'd say 3.5 to 3.75, which I'll place on hold for now... maybe time will temper its metallic characteristics. Okay, update, having had an interlude of Kilchoman Loch Gorm 2019 and a Benriach single cask, this is one that rises to the occasion when there's competition. After those two, this improved a fair bit. I'd say imagine a cask-strength sherried Ledaig crossed with a Mortlach, and this is that. Now 3.75 to 4... then 4. Will it be the gift that keeps on giving (and improving)? Oh, and this needs water to bring out its essence. Update 2: Up, up it goes. This one needs a few more years and water but is still beautiful stuff. It has an imbalance that needs to be remedied by water. It's quite sharp without, and even slightly with, but overlook this, and a beautiful sweet barbecue flavor envelopes the palate. The metallic flavor has gone. Due to its shortcomings, it won't rise higher, but for an $80 dram... nice work! Update 3: Okay, more time and tasting, and back down it goes. I think with these types of spirits, you really need a few drams prior to mask the ethanol harshness. The flavor really hasn't stood the test of time. I ended up giving half the bottle away as part of a swap for an old GD 15 Revival. Hope the current owner likes it. The only reason I could say my local club rated it so highly is it would have been tasted in parallel with several other mostly high-strength whiskies. Back down to 3.5 to 3.75 territory.

This sample has traveled extensively, generously sent by a friend from New Zealand. I poured my sample for my Saturday night routine of relaxing with a dram while watching a documentary. This evening's show was about the formation of the universe and planets. I'm proud my children are watching science shows, unlike my childhood viewing of cartoons. They were watching Jupiter's role in Earth's formation, while I was focused on a cartoon character and a talking dog. Upon the first sip, I was surprised by the mediocre reviews. It seemed too metallic and young; the peat-sherry combination, which I love, was not well integrated. However, after about 30 minutes, the flavors melded together. The peat is not like Islay's; it's more earthy and mushroom-like, similar to when a distillery does an annual peat release. The sherry seems light, not heavy-handed like a particular distillery's offering, perhaps from second-use sherry casks. I believe this started with a score around "2" and improved to a "3.5-4". If you enjoy peat-sherry, it's worth a try. I purchased a bottle for $70, which is a good value compared to a similar option costing about $30 more. Thanks for the pour, friend!

Quite pleasing. The strong sherry notes are well balanced by a robust peat presence. Excellent texture in the mouth. It's so well-integrated that the 59.9% ABV isn't overwhelming. A very well-rounded, tasty whiskey.

A robust, high-proof peaty Sherry Scotch! A truly fantastic example of cask strength at its finest. Oily, rich dark fruits and nuts, oaky and smoky. I'd buy a bottle if I could find one.

Complex whisky with the peat coming very obviously but giving way to other flavors as it goes away. Undertones of caramel below the intense smoke and oily in the mouth. Interesting.

The aroma is definitely smoky. You can sense the 60% ABV on the palate. A nice, long, sweet finish.