Benromach 2014 from identical single sherry casks
It has been a while since we tasted a few Benromach, not since February of this year. We found some samples in the drawer that were quite young and both matured on sherry casks. We are going to try them here, head to head, as they are both from the 2014 vintage.
Benromach 2014, 10 years old, bottled at 58,8 % abv
First things first: This one is the oldest, distilled on 9 May 2014 and matured for 10 years until it was bottled on 20 May 2024 for Germany. Cask # 484 produced 302 bottles. This Benromach spent its entire life in a first fill sherry hogshead.
Upon Sipping: Beautifully creamy whisky, with the sherry impact noticeable but not overpowering. Some tobacco leaves but also milk chocolate notes. Very balanced, with caramel and spices. Then the nostrils start to protest. We will return later after adding some water. The taste is strong on soft hazelnut pasta on a slice of warm bread. Then, a very subtle but unmistakable whiff of smoke on the finish, giving an elegant twist to this classic Speyside single malt. Just when you thought you were drinking an everyday sherry whisky, Benromach throws a curve ball. Love it! With water, well, it turns into what it said to please German whisky lovers: a rougher edge, more dirty notes, slights hints of sulphur. More spicy than fruity now, and the chocolate is all but gone, but still a decent single malt. The roughness continues on the palate, with more wood notes, and a smoky signature more on wood now.
Word to the Wise: Rough around the edges but a pleasure to drink. Really a lot of backbone, even though it feels like a more modern sherry whisky. With more fruits in the mix this would have been an all-round classic.
Score: 86 points.
Benromach 2014, 9 years old, bottled at 60,4 % abv
First things first: This one was distilled just a little later, on 20 June 2014 and matured for 9 years until it was bottled on 26 April 2024 for Whiskysite.nl, a Dutch retailer. Cask # 624 produced 303 bottles. This Benromach also spent its entire life in a first fill sherry hogshead. Still for sale.
Upon Sipping: Not quite the same as the Benromach single cask for Germany. This one opens with a lot more floral notes. Besides that, the same familiar sherry notes. I will move on to sipping a bit undiluted, since the cask strength is quite peppery here. Ooph, it is a hot one, opening on a sour note with some lemon and grapefruit. The finish is just a tad too hot for me, so let’s add water. Now we get more copper coins, hints of sulphur, but all very modest and woven into the main characteristics of the sherry cask. On the tongue, you will pick up a lot more fruit, but all dark in tone, as if some dustiness or mold lies over it. Overripe fruit, you know, with these little flies buzzing around it already. Some leather towards the finish, but with the right balance between water and Benromach, all will be okay.
Word to the Wise: This single cask requires a lot of patience. Too little water, too much water, and you might miss the sweet spot. I think I got it right and could enjoy this whisky, but these high abv bottles do tend to move to the back of my cabinet over time. Just too much fuzz when you want to drink a dram. A decent offering, nonetheless.
Score: 85 points.