Scotland, Speyside: Single malt whisky through the producing distilleries: history, making, production and tasting notes

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Benromach

Description of the whisky

The distillery

Benromach distillery

Benromach Distillery
Forres,
Morrayshire IV36 OEB
+44 1343 545 111

Owners: Gordon & MacPhail
Creation date1898

The distillery has been founded during the last years of the 19th century whisky-boom, in 1898 by Duncan MacCallum who was in those times the owner of Glen Nevis in Campbeltown, and by F.W. Brickmann, wine merchant in Leith. The opening of the distillery dates back to 1900, and its first closing to 1907 because of the bad business of Mr Brickmann. Between 1907 and 1910 the distillery was reopened by MacCallum alone, under the name Forres. The distillery recovered its first name, Balmenach, after World War I.
Balmenach distillery closed again during the 1930's. In those days, the distillery belonged successively to Joseph Hobbs (also owner of Ben Nevis) and Hattim Attari.
In 1938 the distillery was acquired by an investors concern, called Associated Scottish Distilleries, belonging to Train & McIntyre (who were part of the "National Distillers of America"). Later in 1953 the Associated Scottish Distilleries became part of DCL (which would become UDV later). Other distilleries belonging to the same concern like Glenury Royal, Glenesk and Glenlochy closed definitely during the 1980's. Benromach was closed too in 1983 and nearly entirely dismantled. The only part of the distillery which remained was the wash backs.
In 1992, Gordon & MacPhail acquired the empty buildings and the remaining stock from UDV. Those stocks made the reconstruction financially possible and the distillery reopened officially in 1998.
The long time (6 years) between the acquisition and the reopening was partially due to difficulties of Gordon & MacPhail to acquire the burn and the Benromach trade mark.

The whisky

A propos des notes de dégustation Your own tasting notes

List of the bottles

Description of the distillery

Benromach
whisky
O.B. Peat Smoke 19
Traditional 17
See Help 0 - 40 € 40 - 80 € 80 - 120 € 120 - 160 € 160 - 200 € 200 - 240 € 240 - 280 € > 280 €
 Benromach Official bottlings

Benromach
Traditional


Age No age statement
Alcohol 40°
Bottler Official
Price/litre =25 euros< 25 euros
Benromach Traditional
Colour: straw yellow with greenish glints.
Nose: fresh and elegant, it reveals nice vanilla hints, herbal ones (cut hay) and is slightly peated. After aeration, it develops on citrus fruits (orange, lemon)
Palate: smooth, it is marked by cereals, vanilla and liquorice. It develops peaty/smoky hints (malted barley)
Finish: nice and lingering, it recalls delicate hints of ripe fruits (candied orange, quince) on a background of floral notes (violet). It makes think at a Islay whisky
(la Maison du Whisky)
A rather discrete nose, where malt and peat are mixed, before some hay hints appear after aeration. In the palate, a certain lack at power first denies the hopes the nose rose; dominated by malt and after a while light touches of citrus fruit come and bright the feeling up. A very long finish, recalling vanilla. A very pleasant bottle.

The nose reveals mainly malted hints with touches of peat. In the palate, some hints of vanilla mixed to walnut touches on a malty background. The finish, rather long, recalls the bitter taste of unripe walnut, mixed to smoother cereal notes.

A nice nose, with hints of malted barley and a light touch of peat mixed with some acid notes followed by a touch of cocoa. In the palate, it is rather flat and gives a watery impression. No complexity but a pleasant sensation of a well balanced and flawless malt. The finish is relatively short and doesn't leave an unforgettable impression. Nice barley hints however.

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Benromach
Peat smoke


Age
No age statement
Alcohol
46°
Bottler
Officiel
=25 euros=25 euros< 25 euros
Benromach Peat Smoke
A very rich nose, revealing a nice oily peat together with flowers and fruit. Nice complexity where honey notes appear behind a veil of smoke and slightly medicinal notes in the middle of a bunch of flowers. Some pear as well. In the palate, the first impression is a kind of slightly woody bitterness developing quickly on a citrus acidity before coming back on beautiful nutty notes and nice peat hints. Delicious mix of earth and fruit. Very amazing mouth, really refined and very pleasant. The finish is lingering and keeps the memory of both peat and nice fruity hints.
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Speyside

Speyside Map

The Speyside area is situated at the North of the Cairngorm mountain and goes to the Moray firth. It is delimited by two rivers: the Findhorn at the West side and the Deveron on the East side.
The area is named after the river Spey. Most of the distilleries take their water in one of its affluents; the Fiddich, the Livet or the Avon.
About sixty distilleries from Speyside are described on this site.

distillerie précédente Distillerie suivante

Click on the map for a list of the distilleries of the area, on the title for further information
about the Speyside area, and if you want to make an "alphabetical journey" through the area, please
click on one of the pagode roofs, according to the direction you want to follow

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