New Benromach core range: 12 years on sherry!
Benromach is one of the more beloved Scottish single malts out there, and with good reason. The comparison with Springbank is often made and seems to hit the mark. We can thank Gordon & MacPhail for that. The owner of this distillery since the mid-90s made a conscious choice to make Benromach stand out in a crowd. A more robust style was introduced in the core range, and can even been seen in a more extreme form with the more or less annual releases of the Peat Smoke expression. The standard range balances the peat influences out more, not unlike Springbank versus Longrow.
The news that came through the grapevine a few weeks ago that Benromach would launch a new core range addition, excited fans and whisky enthusiasts alike. It turned out to be a full sherry expression. Myself, I am not the biggest fan of Benromach on sherry, especially when they are bottled at very high abv. But those were single casks I tasted. A batch vatting at a more drinkable abv might well do the trick. Let’s find out! In the meantime Benromach also dropped a new 25 years old. If anybody at Benromach is reading, I would not mind… 😉
Benromach 12 years old, bottled at 46 % abv
First things first: A new release in the latter half of 2026 at a decent abv and matured in first fill sherry casks. Christmas comes early this year! A new addition to the core range.
Upon Sipping: I hope it does not get boring for Benromach to be compared to Springbank so often, but this could well stand next to the Springbank 15 years old. The sherry intensity is very high, no denying that, but it works well. It holds the middle between diesel fumes and peaty mossland, with a hint of red fruit. The balance on the nose is impeccable. I must say I am a bit surprised by the palate. It is not entirely steeped in fruitiness, but leaning more towards a savoury, meaty character. Benromach has enough backbone to carry these notes, that’s for sure, but maybe I would have liked more fruits for some complexity. As it stands, it is of course very impressive. The thick, luscious mouthfeel will make you feel like every sip counts twice. The finish on the other hand goes down like silk liquid, leaving a delicate wood tinge lingering long after.
Word to the Wise: This new Benromach is a trip as it takes no prisoners. I was surprised by the exit it took after I was nosing the liquid. The taste is something else. A good curveball from Benromach and kudos for the excellent drinking strength.
Score: 88 points.