Review #235 - Benromach 2010 Organic 5 Year
Benromach, with some peat - once upon a time, a bit unusual for a Speysider, but now, it seems that most of the distilleries do a peated run at some point in the year. On top of the peating process, this 'Springbank of Speyside' also does organic whisky production at some times - quite an intensive process, as it adds more restrictive requirements to every part of the whisky-making process: barley growing, malting, mashing, fermenting, distillation, and maturation all must be looked after carefully to ensure no contamination with non-organic substances.
These older Benromach bottles often didn't come with a surplus of details - indeed, this time, there's no mention of the cask types used. Still, with only 5 years of aging, we're expecting a spirit-forward experience, anyways.
Benromach 2010 Organic 5 Year
Scotland/Speyside - Single Malt
Current Locally Available Price: USD 62 (2024)
Age Statement: 5 Years
Strength: 43% ABV
Details: 2010 vintage, bottled in 2015
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 4 times over 12 months; bottles at 100%, 60%, 40% (blind tasting), and 10% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Quite a lot going on - it's earthy, musty, slightly vegetal to start. Plenty of woody notes, with dry oak, wood smoke, slight bitterness; then, lots of sweet fruit and baking notes arrive. We get grape, green apple, wildflower honey, salted caramels, fresh strawberries, barley sugar, and vanilla... with time, even orange sherbet, and a star anise kick. All over the place really; peat smoke is mild, and it gets more funky with time.
Palate: The mouthfeel is medium-thin; quite spicy and funky, and very spirit-dominated. Earthy flavors, green plants, and peat are strong, while there's spice of licorice, anise, dry oak, and a bit of cinnamon. Fruits like green apple, pear, and plum are accent flavors; there's soft, grainy barley sugar in the background.
Finish: Medium length, with some industrial funk, lingering peat smoke, and astringency from oak and spices. A bit young, with warm spirit and white pepper, and anise adds a kick; rhubarb pie and honey add sweet flavors, and there's a soft hint of sulfur, maybe hinting at a sherry cask.
Final Note: There are times that the term 'organic' or a certain whisky region might suggest some funkiness to our minds, but that power of suggestion isn't necessary here - this is an in-your-face, youthful blast of funk and vegetal notes. The peat is more of an accent flavor, but we get plants and autumn leaf flavors in spades; it felt like ex-bourbon maturation for the most part, with the light, dry fruits and some baking spices.
An interesting one, for sure, if a bit unpolished and young; still, it was always fun to dissect, and it never lacked flavor. Value is average - okay for the flavor delivered, but a bit expensive for its age.
Our Average Rating: 6.4 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 6.29
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