Complexity aplenty in this Benromach 2008
We love a good Benromach from time to time on LPA! In fact, one of the very first blogs we did was tasting notes for a Benromach Vintage release. We tend to lean towards the very naked Benromach expression, meaning: matured on bourbon casks. Today, we must be in for a treat then, as Whiskybase cooperated with Benromach to present us exactly such a product. The distillery is owned by Gordon & MacPhail, who bought it in the early 1990s, to finally fire it up again in 1998. An independent bottler owning a distillery is not the strangest phenomenon in the whisky industry. G&M actually went a step further and built their next distillery from scratch near Grantown-on-Spey, just a 10-minute drive from the Balmenach Distillery. As you read this, I am just a week or two removed from visiting The Cairn Distillery, for which I am very excited. But alright, back to Benromach…
Benromach 18 years old, vintage 2008, bottled at 59,1 % abv for Whiskybase
First things first: A single cask distilled on 21 January 2008 and filled just two days after its 18th birthday, on 23 January 2026. Matured in a first fill bourbon barrel. Cask # 40 produced 229 bottles for Whiskybase.
Upon Sipping: Not simple to nose undiluted, but I do catch some whiffs of candy and warm barley on a wet concrete floor. Lots of vanilla, of course, and a tinge of smoke. Lovely, but we expect more after a few drops of water. That taste is rather soft and deeply wood infused. Wow, the smoke is heavy on this one, made me check if this is not a peated version, but I find no mention of that. Still, quite some ashes and a good lemon infusion, not totally unlike the version at 21 years old that was also bottled for Whiskybase. Good to drink at cask strength, but lots of nuances are lost in the power then.
We are not shy with water, and then we open this baby right up. A lot more waxiness, hints of French mustard on dark brown bread, and finally some fruity notes. Benromach proves again that it is one of the more complex whiskies to savour, and oh so rewarding. Especially at a higher age, as this 18 years old single cask for Whiskybase. I love the slight farmy notes in the background, some dry hay, empty wheel barrow, and delicate sunflower oil. The body on this Benromach might be a tad too thin, but on the finish it is now delicately vanilla driven, with room for tropical fruit in the margins. The overly wooded introduction has made room for other characteristics as time goes on.
Word to the Wise: Impressive stuff, Benromach always delivers a whisky that gives you much to think about. Feels almost uncommercial at times, which I love!
Score: 88 points.