Benromach 15 Year Old

Tasting Notes

• Billy Abbott, The Whisky Exchange

  • Nose

    Chocolate, caramel and wood smoke lead to a hint of new-trainer-sole rubber and rich maltiness – Shreddies cereal and malt extract. The smokiness winds its way through the gaps, becoming wispy coal smoke trickling out of a stove filled with baking sultana-studded apples.

  • Palate

    Rich, thick and rounded, with sultanas and raisins quickly overwhelmed by spicy peat smoke. The baked apples from the nose are revealed as the smoke blows away, sprinkled with spicy cinnamon and mint leaves. Chocolate-covered liquorice and Hob Nob biscuits appear, along with a touch of charcoal.

  • Finish

    Singed fruit cake and sultana-heavy fruit loaf fade slowly away to leave tingling menthol, leafy mint and cocoa.

  • Comment

    Peatier than expected, but with all smoke wrapped up in fruit and chocolate. Supremely well-balanced, with a long and leafy finish.

• Producer's notes

  • Pour yourself a dram of Benromach 15 Years Old. Lift it to the light and note the especially golden amber colour, thanks to the long maturation in sherry and bourbon casks. Now swill it around your glass and take a few little inhalations to savour the AROMA WITHOUT WATER… there’s a lot going on… beautifully balanced sherry aromas with vanilla pod, zesty orange and spicy ginger complemented by delicate chamomile and menthol notes. Now sip your dram, roll the whisky around your mouth and enjoy the TASTE WITHOUT WATER… there’s luscious, rich fruit cake with stewed plum, red apple skin and the sharp edge of kiwi fruit. Next, take in the AROMA WITH WATER… the whisky shifts into another gear with subtle hints of cocoa, nutmeg and cinnamon giving way to sweet honey notes and hints of bonfire embers. Add a drop or two of water to release the full TASTE WITH WATER… it’s a very satisfying palate with traces of charred oak complementing sweet tangerine, plum and nectarines… completed by a gorgeous touch of milk chocolate.