Benromach 15

Everything that's good at Benromach + 5

The 15 year old Benromach is the newest addition to the Speysider's single malt range.

Ewen Mackintosh, COO of Gordon & Macphail, calls it "another milestone in the company's history". This single malt is said to be another testimony to the classic Speyside malts of the pre-1960's. Whisky that every proper whisky geek makes his mouth water in other words...

Identity Card Benromach 15

• Benromach 15 (distillery sample)
• Benromach Distillery (Gordon & Macphail), Forres (Speyside)
• Single malt 15 year old
• 43 % ABV

Tasting notes

Colour: Dark gold with an amber touch - quite darker then the 10yo -  and an oily look & feel. The liquid shows thin and fast legs on the glass.

Nose: Unmistakable wood bark and toasted oak. Sweet sherry notes from raisins, candied orange. Dusty but delicious milk chocolate. Passion fruit and mango with after-eight biscuits.

With water I'm getting lots of Pedro Ximenez sherry and madeira drizzled cake. Chocolate milk with cinnamon and whipped cream. Orange lemonade and classic Pim's biscuits with orange stuffing and a chocolate layer.

Taste: Creamy peach sherbet with a touch of pepper. A carpenter's workshop and a leather armchair. Bitter blood orange zest and its sweet juicy pulp in one bite. Butter cake with vanilla and stem ginger.

With water it's straight back to the orange and chocolate notes. Bitter coffee beans and soft spices from ginger bread and liquorice rot.

Finish: Banana ice with flakes of milk chocolate. A long and sweet finish.

Price: €68 / £48

The 15 year old is obviously a step up from their 10yo offering. More sherry notes, more balance, a moreish finish. The people at Gordon & Macphail took everything that's good at Benromach, left it 5 more years in some pretty good casks and voila... They have a new flagship that's still affordable. Is it post-Second World War Speyside style they claim? I'll let you know if I lay hands on a genuine sample from that era...

Source and pictures: Benromach

A sample of this whisky has been provided by the people at Benromach. Tasting notes and opinions are, as always, my own.