Benromach 10 Years (nr 472, 350 ml, 247 SEK)

Benromach Distillery was established by Duncan MacCallum, of Glen Nevis Distillery, Campbeltown, and FW Brickmann, spirit broker, of Leith, in 1898. The firm went bankrupt in October 1899 with liabilities exceeding £70,000 and they experienced great difficulties in finding buyers for the product and the distillery. Without having produced a single drop of whisky Benromach was acquired by Harvey McNair & Co of London in 1911 and the distillery remained in production up to the beginning of the First World War in 1914. After the war, in 1919, Benromach was bought by John Joseph Calder, who promptly sold it to the Benromach Distillery Ltd, a private company registered in late 1919 in Edinburgh. Several breweries held shares in the new company.

However the distillery was closed in 1925 and in 1938 it was sold to Associated Scottish Distilleries Ltd (ASD). ASD was bought by National Distillers, an American corporation. After a hiatus during World War II Benromach changes hands in 1953 when it was sold to the Distillers Company Limited of Edinburgh.  Benromach was then transferred to Scottish Malt Distillers Ltd (SMD). Between 1966 and 1974 Benromach's still house was rebuilt and an oil-fired boiler was installed. Two years later the maltings was converted to a cask store, and in 1974 the mash house was rebuilt and the tunroom was modernized. The modernization didn’t quite do it because in 1983 the distiller was closed once again.

In 1993 Benromach Distillery purchased by Gordon & MacPhail. After many years of planning, the refurbishment of Benromach Distillery began with a major over-haul to re-equip the distillery with specially designed and commissioned new stills, a mash tun, remoulded wash backs. This was exactly what was needed and today the pretty white-washed buildings of Benromach Distillery, along with its iconic red brick chimney, stand testament to the vision of those determined to save the distillery from extinction and create an award winning range of Single Malt Whiskies.

Right now you can find Benromach 10 Years Old, Strength 43%, at Systembolaget.

Initially this whisky was matured in a mix of Bourbon and Sherry casks. It was then transferred to European oak Oloroso Sherry casks for a final period of maturation. The result is a beautifully balanced dram, displaying a rich Sherry character, summer fruit flavours, malt creaminess and a light peat smoke influence. It has a golden Golden colour, is well balanced and shows a  long and lingering finish with subtle Sherry and peat.

The aroma has a rich sherry scent with fruits, nuts, chocolate and delicate spices. There’s also a hint of fresh green apples, with a malty, digestive biscuit note and light peat smoke in the background. The taste has abundant notes of delicious forest fruits, raspberries and brambles. The sherry is easily to discern and gives the whisky a malt creaminess with a strong peat influence.

In 2010 Benromach 10 Years won gold at San Francisco World Spirits Competition!

Written by Kristian Kull & Alexander Yü