Benromach Origins

The Benromach Origins was made from locally grown Golden Promise barley. Nowadays, distillers prefer barley with a higher yield (like Optic), but Benromach (and The Macallan) use Golden Promise as they feel it adds a specific character to the spirit. I tried the first Batch of the Benromach Origins, bottled in 2008.

The nose gives away the sherry cask immediately, but gets overpowered by something buttery. Even something sour, like the dark brown German bread that is offered in very thin slices (but I cannot remember the name). It contains, just like the 10 Year Old, a whiff of smoke. But this nose somehow bothers me. The sweetness is suppressed by aromas that remind me of the horse’s stable. Nuts are also prominently present, especially after adding some water.

On the palate, this dram is very buttery. Roated nuts and walnuts, on a platter of spices, steal the show. But I am constantly reminded of butter heating up in a frying pan, about to be burnt. Easily drinkable without water, but I tried adding some. It does nothing to improve the whisky. I’m still reminded of the horse’s stable, with a little added liquorice.

The finish is medium in length, like the 10 Year Old. At the death, I get some molasses.

When someone says a whisky is interesting, that’s usually a euphemism for ‘Yikes!’. Let me be clear: this whisky is certainly not ‘yikes!’, but I would still use the word interesting. It has an unusual nose and taste. I prefer the 10 Year Old, though.

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