Benromach is a distillery you just adore. Traditional to the hilt, nothing there is computerized, with that quaint old style of Speyside whisky. So yes, if I had to choose two distilleries to bring back the floor maltings to, Benromach would be the second, but you can’t really hold that against them 🙂
There’s also interesting stuff coming out of the distillery beyond their core range, both in a slew of single casks released for shops mainly across Europe, and in yearly releases of wine finished expressions.
This expression is a limited release, 8 Year old and fully matured in first fill bourbon casks. Benromach has a stated goal of experimentation and expansion of skills and abilities to employ new processes and this release is an embodiment of that principle. There are some 15,000 bottles in the release, though I’d venture to bet that there are also runs from later vintages.
I’m known for not having a great affinity for triple distilled whisky, and have, thus, approached with caution. I was positively surprised, as the peat was crisp and clean, and the first fill casks definitely add character.
Photo Credit: thewhiskyexchange.com
Benromach 2009 Triple Distilled, Bottled 2017 (50% ABV, NCF, NC)
Appearance: Gold, legs are rather quick, with residue and a lingering necklace.
Nose: Fire fed with pinewood, resin, malt, green apples in the background and the water in a can of sweet corn. There’s a hint of brine and honey once the whisky is left in the glass for a while.
Palate: Gentle, with peat and a fruity sweetness, and a citrusy bitterness. At 50% it also doesn’t feel watery or overly diluted, and that seems to be the right strength for this single malt.
Linger: Pepper and a bitter tang, atop a layer of sweetness and peat smoke. The spice is very dominant on the linger from the second sip, leaning towards chili pepper, with the peat being pretty dominant in the mouth. After some time, there are notes reminiscent of white wine.
Conclusion
Lacking the musty note so often associated with triple distilled whisky, the peat is very dominant. With a nice compliment of spice and bitterness, this is one triple distilled whisky I actually like. In fact, I think the triple distillation brightens up the peat, making it crisper and more pronounced.