Benromach 11yr Single Cask #388

58.2% - First Fill Bourbon Barrel - 228 bottles.

Specially selected by Abbey Whisky.

A ‘traditional’ Speyside distillery that likes to do things (in their words), by hand and in the old-fashioned way.

They get their water from the Chapelton Spring in the Romach Hills, and their signature flavour comes from a lightly peated barley.

Benromach used to have a very unique branding, where the distillery name was printed in distinctive handwritten script on the packaging, and the bottle shape was very standard, until recently when they completely re-branded and went with an entirely new look that couldn’t have been further from the original. It was a brave move, but absolutely one that worked. If you wanted a lesson in how to create a product that shines out on a shelf amongst similar products, this is how to do it.

Their offerings are a core range that includes a 10yr, 15yr (which is outstanding!), 21yr plus a 40yr. Plus a few non-age-stated whiskies of different cask-types as well as a cask strength release and some single cask releases..... of which this is one!

This single cask release was matured in a first-fill Bourbon barrel and aged for just over 11 years. Limited to just 228 bottles.

Nose: Soft peat, toasted marshmallows, preserved lemon rind, coconut, leather from an old car, oat biscuits, a whiff of smoked ham.

Palate: Sweet & warming. Caramelised nuts with gentle peat smoke, marshmallow, fudge, and a subtle fruitiness play around.

Finish: Long & warming with a lovely oily sweetness.

Water adds… Floral notes and sawn wood on the nose, sharper focussed peat on the palate, and softer on the finish.

Conclusion: Feels like sinking into a really comfy chair. And what I really love about the Benromach profile is that unavoidably fun twist of marshmallow in the taste. It's outrageously good.

What a cracking example of a Benromach, and yet another beautiful cask pick by Abbey Whisky.

Available exclusively at Abbey Whisky for £69.99 (at the time of writing) - what a total bargain for a single cask of this calibre.