Burnobennie

New Make Spirit of Burnobennie judged in the New Make Index 

A few weeks ago I stood in front of a chalkboard in a business unit outside Banchory, watching a distiller map out flavour against alcohol strength, cut by cut, degree by degree. Sam Ritchie of the Burnobennie Distillery calls it fragmented distilling. I’ve been calling it something else in my head for a while now: proof that new make spirit deserves to be taken as seriously as anything that comes out of a cask. Single Malt New Make Spirit. I’m putting a name and a number to that idea. Meet the New Make Index.

Burnobennie A – New Make Spirit at 69,6 % abv 
This carries the hint of warm, moist malt, definitely biscuity indeed. Delicate hints of mango pulp or mango ice cream. Very bright and clear. In the far distance there might be a hint of wet dog, something oily perhaps. It does not distract. The grassy notes create a farm feel. At full strength it is a difficult sip, so after an initial attempt, we dilute this spirit to 50 % abv. The legs on the spirit, when you swirl it around in the glass, drip down with the greatest ease. Water reveals a rougher side to this Burnobennie distillate. It is that wet dog again, with a hint of Asian cuisine, from Indonesia. At lower strength it is much more enjoyable to drink though, with interesting spices and fudgy banana. The finish is a tad bitter. 

Purity 3
Character 4
Potential 3
Score: NMI 3/4/3

Burnobennie B – New Make Spirit at 72 % abv 
Cut very soon after the heads have passed, so this should be more fruity compared to the A version. It does seem to spread a more perfumy aroma when I move the glass close to my nose. We won’t sip but wet the lips a little. Hints of custard then, but mostly a malty hotness. We will put in water. This opens up the nose very pleasantly. A fruity aroma meets us. On the palate, the liquid feels squeaky clean, with nothing to distract from a tropicality that is very enticing. Ah yes, this is clearly superior to the A version, which seems to carry a touch of broth, in hindsight, where this B version is bright and juicy. 

Purity 4
Character 4
Potential 5
Score: NMI 4/4/5

Liath Mor – Golden Promise Peated New Make Spirit at 63 % abv 

Peating Golden Promise malted barley is a dream for many, but Burnobennie put it into practise. The spirit is named “Liath Mor” which roughly translates to “big grey”. A reference to the smoke perhaps? Or the folklore legend of the Big Grey Man haunting the summit of Ben Macdui in the Cairngorms? The power of the peaty tang exploding from the glass is in any case tangible. You can almost taste it without sipping from it. Lots of meat prepared at cremation level, grilled fruit, I pick up on courgette pulp that has been grated so the courgette can be filled with meat (recommended!). It is smoke, there is heather, and with that far removed from medicinal, maritime peat. A style I like. When diluted, this courgette smell gains traction, making this quite a vegetal new make spirit to experience. Lots of mud, dry earth, cow dung. I can certainly state this is one of the most unique and singular NMS I ever tasted. With water, there is now a delicate sweetness on the palate, reminiscent of these flavoured water bottles you can buy at the airport and such places. The finish is bustling with calmed down smoke. These taste sensations are quite an attribute in itself. The question of what the stake of the Golden Promise barley is in this, I cannot answer. The spirit has sufficient body to carry the heavy smoke influence, that is a certain conclusion. 

Purity 3
Character 5
Potential 4
Score: NMI 3/5/4

Liath Mor 18 months matured – Golden Promise Peated New Make Spirit at 58,6 % abv 

Sam Ritchie was able to provide us with a new make that has actually seen the inside of a cask, this is the Liath Mor (peated Burnobennie) made from peated Golden Promise barley, but matured for 18 months. In time truly halfway on its road to be named single malt whisky. The colour is already very attractive golden in appearance. Lots of charcoal smoke rising from the glass, some meaty elements as well, but all rather calmed down already. Amazing what just a year and a half in a cask can do to a spirit. But this is a hungry spirit, it seems, just bustling with desire to mature. On the palate, the spirit is already silky soft and is perfectly drinkable undiluted. And then the smoke appears, as if it was hidden in a smouldering pile of ashes. Truly like chewing on a piece of charcoal. Burningly fierce, standing on the shoulders of the little oak influence it had, but it is there. I had some unmatured spirit of the peated NMS left and put a glass next to this one. The vegetal character of that one is even more pronounced in comparison. I put in some water and got overwhelmed with surprise, as the NMS at 18 months now throws a basket of tropical fruit at me. Incredible, mango, grilled pineapple, peaches. On the tongue, the silky softness reappears and the smoke has now fully integrated into the seams of the total DNA of this spirit. It became a fruity experience with the peat providing back bone to make it stand tall. On repeated sipping, the courgette makes a reappearance on the palate, which now feels as something of an off-note. I am sure time will smooth this over. If there ever was a candidate for an official Burnobennie proprietary bottling, this spirit somewhere between 3 to 5 years of age would be a winner. 

Purity 4
Character 5
Potential 4
Score: NMI 4/5/4 

Burnobennie – Secret Single Malt B, tasted at 43 % abv
This is a 4 year matured expression made at Burnobennie. It is preciously golden in colour, with a delightful whiff of overripe fruit combined with a delicate hint of juices from the cask influence. Incredibly mature. On the tongue, this single malt dances like a ballerina, displaying nutty and red fruit flavours alike, before it takes a definitive bearing towards chocolate notes. The palate is really light and playful and displays an impressive balance. On repeated sipping, you will pick up some light hints of wood smoke, maybe even a thin cigar variant with a menthol filter tip. With a few drops of water, the fruity side of this Burnobennie conquers the headlines again, with soft red fruit on the nose. The palate stays more or less the same, with a slightly bitter hint of wood on the exit. 

Score: 83 points.