Benromach 10 years old Single Speyside Malt Whisky 70 cl 43%

Benromach make whisky the way Speyside tasted before everything turned light and floral. A little peat smoke, plenty of sherry and a team of very few people doing it all by hand in a small building outside Forres.

The expert's description

Benromach 10 years is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in first fill bourbon and sherry casks and bottled at 43 %.

The whisky matures in around eighty percent first fill bourbon casks and twenty percent first fill sherry casks, then spends a year in Oloroso Sherry casks where the two parts marry. It is neither chill filtered nor coloured.

The distillery was founded in 1898, closed in 1983 and stood silent for fifteen years until Gordon & MacPhail bought it and reopened in 1998. The stated aim was to recreate the Speyside style that existed before the 1960s — lightly peated malt, less steel, more handwork.

Tasting notes

Nose

Rich sherry, nuts and old oak with charred casks and dark chocolate in the background. The peat smoke runs through it all as a thin thread.

Palate

Rounded malt, ripe red berries and gentle peat smoke. There is clear sweetness from the sherry, held in check by a dry, smoky edge.

Finish

Medium long with lightly burnt caramel, ash and a warm spiced close.

Specifications

Name: Benromach 10 years old Single Speyside Malt Whisky 70 cl 43%
Distillery: Benromach
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 10 years
ABV: 43 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: First fill bourbon casks and first fill sherry casks, followed by one year in Oloroso Sherry casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
EAN no.: 5020613023680

Flavour profile

Lightly peated · Sherry matured · Malty · Berries · Rounded

Did you know?

Benromach runs with a team of fewer than a handful of people and still uses wooden washbacks. The distillery was formally reopened by the then Prince of Wales in October 1998.

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Frequently asked questions about Benromach 10 years old Single Speyside Malt Whisky 70 cl 43%

Is Benromach 10 years a peated whisky?

Lightly peated, yes. The malt is peated to around ten ppm, well below Islay levels. The smoke works as a background seasoning rather than a main ingredient, and most people experience it as a warm ashy note rather than a bonfire.

Why does it taste different from other Speyside whiskies?

Because Gordon & MacPhail deliberately went back to an older production style when they reopened the distillery. Lightly peated malt, small stills and a high proportion of first fill casks give a heavier and smokier expression than the light, floral Speyside style many expect.

Is it a good first single malt?

Very good. It is complex enough to stay interesting but never demanding, and the 43 % makes it easy to approach. To compare other entry points, there is plenty to choose from among Single Malt Whisky.

Who are Gordon & MacPhail?

A family owned business from Elgin, founded in 1895, which for over a century has been one of the world's most important independent bottling houses. They bought Benromach in 1993 and still run it.

What does it suit?

Try it with smoked salmon, mature cheese or dark chocolate. The combination of sherry sweetness and light smoke works unusually well with salt and richness.

Should I add water?

Not necessarily at 43 %. A single drop can bring out the berry notes, but the whisky is already balanced as it is.

Is it chill filtered?

No. Benromach bottle without chill filtration and without added colour, so the whisky may turn slightly hazy if chilled hard. That is a sign nothing has been removed.