In the Contrasts series, we are allowed to taste Benromach in entirely new ways, and this time we are dealing with an unpeated—non-smoked—variant. While the “normal” Benromach has a good amount of peaty smoke in the flavor, particularly for a Speyside, this version is something quite different, with a scent and taste reminiscent of baked apple, pineapple, and sweet licorice. It has been aged for 9 years in both sherry and bourbon casks, bottled at 46% in 2024, and is not chill-filtered.
Color: Amber.
Aroma: Deep, spicy notes of baked apple—perhaps apple pie—dried and tropical fruit, with a hint of menthol.
Tasting Notes: Full-bodied, slightly sweet flavor of raisins, pineapple, sweet licorice, and a long, minty finish.
Serving Suggestion: Should be enjoyed neat.
Benromach was founded in 1898 and was one of the distilleries that had to close in 1983, when very little whisky was consumed and the industry was struggling. Fortunately, Benromach resumed production in 1998, becoming (so far) the only one of the many missed distilleries that shut down its stills that fateful year.
It was the independent bottler Gordon & MacPhail that brought Benromach back to life. In 1993, they bought what remained of the distillery (a couple of washbacks and the empty buildings) and then spent the next 5 years renovating and installing new equipment. Gordon & MacPhail is known for having massive quantities of old whisky, which the company has purchased over the years, making them uniquely positioned to sift through their “liquid library” and pinpoint the style that Benromach had before its closure.
The new distillery was designed to best capture the old style, and they even installed a malt mill built in 1913! It was especially believed that a hint of smoke was crucial. This is how Speyside whisky tasted in the old days, as most distilleries malted their own barley before the 1960s, using both coal and peat. Their standard malt is peated to 10-12 ppm, but they also produce a small amount of whisky with significantly stronger smoke, which can be tasted in bottlings like Contrasts: Peat Smoke.
