
Benromach 15 Year Old
Benromach · Benromach Distillery
Benromach's 15 Year is a masterclass in internal tension: sherry richness versus subtle peat, sweetness versus earthiness. It never leans too far in either direction. This is Speyside with a backbone, a malt that rewards attention without demanding it.
Nose
Sherry-soaked dried fruit—figs and raisins—alongside a subtle wisp of smoke that reveals the distillery's lightly peated malt. Orange marmalade and dark honey add sweetness without cloying.
Palate
Rich and layered. Cocoa and toasted almonds share space with a gentle peat smoke that weaves through the sherry cask sweetness. There's a buttery quality to the mouthfeel that carries clove spice and baked stone fruit.
Finish
Medium-long with lingering cocoa, dried fruit, and a final curl of smoke that keeps the sweetness honest.
- Region
- Speyside
- Cask Type
- First-fill sherry hogsheads and bourbon barrels
- Peat Level (PPM)
- 12 - 15 ppm
- Distillation
- Double distilled in traditional copper pot stills
- Maturation
- Aged in a combination of first-fill sherry and bourbon casks for 15 years
- Chill-Filtered
- No
Food Pairing
Dark chocolate truffles with smoked sea salt
Revived in 1998 by Gordon & MacPhail after a decade of silence, the tiny Benromach distillery in Forres uses lightly peated malt and a mix of sherry and bourbon casks to craft a house style that bridges Speyside elegance with highland grit.
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