The Still & The VineSchool of Wine & Spirits
Benromach 10 Year Old
Scotch WhiskyIssue 17

Benromach 10 Year Old

Gordon & MacPhail · Benromach Distillery, Forres, Morayshire

$4586 (43% ABV) proof10 YearsForres, Speyside — a distillery shuttered in 1983 and left to crumble, then painstakingly rebuilt by Gordon & MacPhail and reopened by Prince Charles in 1998, reborn as Speyside's smallest working distillery.
Benromach sat silent for fifteen years. When Gordon & MacPhail brought it back to life in 1998, they didn't try to copy the old Speyside playbook. Instead, they introduced a light peat — unusual for the region — creating something that didn't exist before.

Kit Aromas

Tasting Notes

Nose

Sherried fruit, gentle peat smoke, honey drizzle, malt biscuit, hint of dark chocolate

Palate

Toffee, dried apricot, soft peat, oak spice, milk chocolate, orange marmalade

Finish

Medium-long with lingering smoky sweetness and gentle wood spice

Specifications
Distillation
Double distilled in traditional copper pot stills
Maturation
First-fill sherry casks and bourbon barrels
Chill-Filtered
Non-chill filtered
Serve & Pair

Cocktail Suggestion

Cocktail — The Phoenix Sour: 2 oz Benromach 10 · 0.75 oz fresh lemon juice · 0.5 oz honey syrup · 1 egg white · 2 dashes Angostura bitters.

Food Pairing

Smoked salmon with honey-mustard glaze — the whisky's light peat and honey echo the dish perfectly.

Train These Aromas
Comments

Be the first to comment.

Leave a comment

0 / 4,000

First-time comments are reviewed before appearing. Be kind, be specific, no spam.

More Scotch Whisky Reviews
Glenfiddich 26 Year Old Grande Couronne
Scotch Whisky

Glenfiddich 26 Year Old Grande Couronne

Glenfiddich

The Grande Couronne is Glenfiddich's crown jewel for good reason. Twenty-six years in American and European oak, finished in French cognac casks, produces a whisky of extraordinary balance. It is contemplative without being heavy, complex without being fussy.

86.8 proof
Bowmore 12 Year Old Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Scotch Whisky

Bowmore 12 Year Old Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Bowmore

Bowmore 12 is the entry point to Islay for anyone wary of peat's aggression. The fire here is managed — kiln-dried barley at moderate peat levels, resulting in a whisky that integrates smoke with fruit and chocolate rather than bulldozing with phenol. It's a study in tempered heat.

80 proof
Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban 14 Year Old
Scotch Whisky

Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban 14 Year Old

Glenmorangie

A masterclass in how a secondary wood finish can transform a spirit. Glenmorangie's signature elegance meets the inner skin of port-seasoned casks in a marriage that feels deeply intentional. The 14-year maturation in ex-bourbon barrels builds the framework, but it's the extra-maturation in hand-selected ruby port pipes that paints the portrait — all plum, chocolate, and velvety tannin. For the theme of where wood meets spirit, this bottle is practically a thesis statement.

92 proof
Glenfarclas 105 Cask Strength Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Scotch Whisky

Glenfarclas 105 Cask Strength Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Glenfarclas

Glenfarclas 105 is a sherry-bomb at cask strength that never loses its composure. The heat is substantial but well-integrated, rewarding the patient sipper who adds a few drops of water. For a non-age-statement whisky, the depth of flavor suggests significant maturation.

120 proof