Benromach 2010 Peat Smoke Sherry Cask (2018)
I like my peat in moderation, which is one of the many reasons that I’m so fond of Benromach. However, I must admit that their Benromach Peat Smoke releases did really struck the right chord. Fairly heavily peated, indeed, but very much different from your average Islay peat bomb.
Just a few weeks ago, Benromach announced the newest Peat Smoke. Whereas before that usually meant a newer vintage, but the same recipe as previous iterations. However, this latest release matured for the full 100% in first-fill sherry hogsheads. That’s exciting!
The Benromach Peat Smoke Sherry Cask Matured is also bottled at a staggering abv. Only 6.500 bottles are available world wide. All in all, this should make for quite the experience.
Benromach 2010 Peat Smoke Sherry Cask (59.9%, OB, 2018)
Nose: Oh man, this is rather enticing. Plenty of dry sherry notes, with a good amount of dried red fruits, as well as cherry syrup. But then there’s this honey-glazed, meaty, barbecue-esque peat smoke that beautifully cuts through, accompanied by a hint of rubber, which may sounds unattractive, but really does work for me. Great balance.
Taste: Unmistakably Benromach, but sort of on steroids. The earthy peat and furniture polish work great with the dried red fruit, as well as the meaty barbecue smoke. Slightly syrupy and somewhat oily, with a hint of dark chocolate.
Finish: Lingering barbecue smoke and soft chocolate. Long.
Score: 89
As good, or maybe even better than I hoped. Peat and sherry is a proven combination, although not always executed well. That is not the case here. Once word gets out, I’ve no doubt that this’ll fly of the shelves.
Sample provided by Benromach
Thijs is a spirits writer and accredited liquorist from The Netherlands. He runs the blog Words of Whisky and contributes to a number of Dutch and international publications.
Ik lees veel gemengde reacties op deze dram. Heb deze zelf in de kast staan en omschrijf hem zelf als: een typische Benromach met sterkere sherry toetsen, een unieke rook smaak (geen turf in mijn ogen). En een zeer unieke smaak op het einde van de finish die ik niet kan plaatsen. Het is dat einde dat het hem doet. Het is een geval van pro of contra op dat gegeven.