After exploring the classical flavour profiles of entry-level single malts, where to go next? Malt blends would have made sense, but I felt the need for something different. Call it a touch of whisky fatigue. After all, I am doing this for fun. I considered a “vacation” into world whisky. Instead, I decided to go into the category of whisky captivating me the most right now, the so-called funky town or funky bunch. What a funky whisky is, can be a matter of taste or personal categorisation. Nonetheless, the next reviews will focus on those single malts commonly defined as “funky” starting with today’s review of the Benromach 10 year old.
TL:DR: It is an atypical Speysider for sure, but calling it funky is a bit of a stretch. Funk aside it gives a solid taste of all the main flavour characters of Scottish single malt: sherry, bourbon and peat, in one sip.
Vote*: 7, Very good stuff
If you visit this blog regularly, as a few of you seem to do, you might have noticed a break in posting. The newsletter subscribers among you know I was planning to use the short break for a slight redesign of the site and to put out my first video. (Not subscribed to the newsletter? You can do so here and get a monthly sneak peak at what comes next.)
Neither happened. Being the sole writer behind this blog means that when an accident happens, as the particularly annoying chest infection which I got last week, things grind to a halt. The video will be out soon while I had to delay the redesign. In any case I am back to my regular Wednesday & Sunday post schedule and sorry for the interruption.
Benromach’s rise in the hearts of whisky geeks
If you look at the opinion of whisky geeks, you will find many who are fans of Benromach. The distillery is currently voted the 9th best in Scotland on Dramface’s crowdsourced top 40 distilleries. From time to time, it is even brought forward as “the” alternative to Springbank and its hard to find liquid. Things were not always this way.
To say that Benromach has had a checkered past is an understatement. Founded in 1898, it only started production in 1909, shutting down just to years later in 1911 for 3 years. Reopened, it was mothballed again from 1931-1937. In 1953 it was sold to DCL (now Diageo) who mothballed it once more in 1983 during the whisky lock. During this last closure DCL stripped the distillery for parts. By 1993 only a single original washback was left. So how does a distillery with such a patchy history climb to such lofty heights of whisky fandom?
The reversal in Benromach’s fortunes is fully linked with the purchase of the distillery from DCL by Gordon & McPhail the famous Speyside based Indipendent Bottlers. Or better former independent bottler considering the company announced a move away from that business model and into becoming a whisky distiller. Considering the amount of casks the company has in its warehouses, most experts believe the real end of the IB business is a decade and more away.
The new owners of Benromach essentially had to rebuild the distillery from scratch, except for the outer walls. In the first five years, a lot of experimentation took place to identify the style for the “new” Benromach, ultimately settling on a style that is closer to what Speyside whisky used to be traditionally, or as the distillery itself calls it “the lost Speyside style”. Lightly peated, with long fermentations and aged in first fill casks exclusively. Many drinkers describe Benromach as a funky spirit, excuse enough to add it into this next bunch of reviews
Benromach and Integrity
While Benromach has a fair share of fans, it also continues to receive a few critical nudges by these fans themselves. The main change whisky geeks would love to see is for Benromach to stop bottling its standard lineup of whiskies, the 10, 15 and 21 year old bottles, at 43% and to stop chill filtering. Those cries for integrity become even stronger when the standard lineup is compared with the cask strength releases and Contrast series bottlings, bottled at higher ABV and non-chill filtered.
I too would love for Benromach to shift to a full integrity presentation. Nonetheless, this does not mean that 43% bottlings should be ignored. I will admit I am a fan of Benfromach. It is the distillery with the most bottles in my collection by far. Yet the Benromach 10 year old is one I haven’t had in a while, so this excursion into funky town gives me an excuse to review it again.
Benromach 10 year old
Specs
Price paid: €51.29 (often available on offer for 40-45€)
Bottled date: 31/1/2022
ABV: 43%
Natural colour: Yes
Non-chill filtered: No
Casks Used: As the label states “exclusively first fill casks”, but which ones? Likely a mix of ex-bourbon mostly with some sherry.
Tasting Notes
Colour: A rich coppery amber. Since this is a naturally coloured whisky made with first fill casks, I suspect there is a decent proportion of Sherry casks
Nose: It starts sherried and gets more malted and ex-bourbon influenced as it goes. The first hit is all Sherry with raisins and walnuts, even a hint of chestnut, red fruit, and a little chocolate-covered orange peel. The peat, in the form of bonfire smoke, is there as a base note – noticeable and persistent yet not intrusive. As the aromas open up in the glass some more bourbon-forward character emerges: vanilla, cinnamon, melon, crushed fresh grapes. There are also malted barley, oak and herbal (maybe basil) notes to round things up. All in all it is a merry-go-round of a nose, touching all the main characters of single malt.
Taste: The 43% is more evident on the body, quite light but in no way watered down. In contrast the flavours are quite intense. The Sherry and malt notes are more dominant on the taste. Raisins, chocolate, orange, malted barley and the underlying bonefire smoke from the peat hit first and longest. Notes of vanilla, some freshly washed laundry and a little ginger are there but play second fiddle. The palate is less complex than the nose but still rich and flavourful.
Finish: Medium length and again, intense and rich. Quite sweet, more balanced betewwn sherry and bourbon influence with orange flavoured chocolate, vanilla, malted biscuits, just a hint of ash and some noticeable drying tannin.
Vote: 7 This is a very good entry level expression. And while I will continue to wish for a Benromach 10 bottled as integrity malt, 46%, non chill filtered, this is proof that integrity bottling is not the be all and end all of whisky. Funky? Not really, just unusual as a Speyside malt in today’s scene.
* Votes are based on the scoring scale used by Dramface, slightly modified to allow half-points
Closing thoughts
Considering I am looking for funky whisky, the first question is: is it funky? Definitely not in my book. It is not your typical Speyside dram, but peat aside, there is no funk to be had. But is the lack of fit in a category something that should penalise a good whisky? Categories are abstract constructs so frankly… who cares. This is a solid whisky. Maybe even one to try next to other 46% entry level whiskies to challenge any perception that anything less than 46% ABV should be ignored.
Would I buy it again?
No doubt I will, though I have to admit it is not my favourite Benromach. I prefer other bottlings like the 15 or some of their Contrast series. Yet, for the price it can be found at today (40-45€) this is a fantastic everyday dram that delivers a rich, multi-faceted drinking experience. What it (slightly) lacks in mouthfeel, it more than makes up in intensity.
Would I offer this to a new whisky drinker?
I struggle to think of another bottle that could show a new drinker the range of classical Scottish single malt can deliver. Sherry notes? Sure. Bourbon character? Absolutely. A malty spirit backbone? You bet. And just a little smoke to entice you into the foggy world of peat? Check! If I had to show a new drinker everything single malt can bring aroma and taste-wise, I cannot think of another bottle that can gift a new drinker with such a 360-degree panorama in a single glass. So while the Benrmach 10 might not be a member of funky town, it is probably the best all-rounder entry level dram out there.
I hope you enjoyed this review and stay tuned for the next funky town whisky, which will continue the “Ben” theme…
After writing my tasting notes, I always find it interesting, to look at other opinions. Here are a few other reviews of the Benromach 10 I enjoyed:
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