Benromach Contrasts: Peat Smoke Sherry Cask 2014 Single Malt Scotch Whisky - 70cl
The most assertively smoky expression in the Benromach range — and a deliberate and striking departure from the distillery's signature style. Where the core Benromach expressions use barley peated to a gentle 10-12 PPM to create their characteristic subtle smoke, the Peat Smoke Sherry Cask uses barley malted to a far more powerful 55-57 PPM — a phenol level in the territory of heavily peated Islay malts — before maturing the spirit exclusively in first-fill sherry hogsheads. The result is a genuinely compelling collision of two of the most satisfying flavour dimensions in all of Scotch whisky: bold, earthy peat smoke and the lush, dark-fruit richness of quality first-fill sherry oak. Produced in very small batches, distilled in 2014, bottled at 46% ABV, and released as part of the Contrasts series — Benromach's dedicated range for exploring the outer reaches of what this Speyside distillery is capable of when its expert team steps outside its comfort zone.
TASTING NOTES
NOSE
Appealing and richly layered — cinnamon and ginger lead with sweet vanilla, red berries, fresh orange zest, Seville orange peel, soft demerara sugar, rich dark chocolate, and a compelling smoky backdrop of earthy peat and extinguished wood fire.
PALATE
Smooth and creamy with a deft interplay of peat smoke and sherry sweetness — cocoa powder, sweet honeycomb, stewed red berries, toasted almonds, Seville orange peel, and subtle cracked black pepper with the high-PPM smoke present throughout but beautifully integrated with the sherry richness.
FINISH
Full and long — Morello cherry, peat smoke, ginger, and a lingering sweetness fading slowly — one of the most satisfying and complex finishes in the Benromach range.
ABV: 46% ABV