Origin: Speyside (Scotland)
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Strength: 46%ABV
Ageing casks: Ex-Bourbon first fill
Chillfiltered: No
Added coloring: No
Owner: Gordon & MacPhail
Average price: € 70.00
Official website: www.benromach.com
The Contrasts series from the never too praised Benromach aims to present the distillery’s whisky in an unusual light compared to its (limited) core range, playing on some of the elements of its production process.
The two permanent bottlings, Organic and Peat Smoke, are pretty self-explanatory and have actually been in their portfolio since way before this label was born: the first one only uses organic barley, while the second one emphasises Benromach’s generally gentle peating.
Then there are limited editions, the Guest Contrasts, which occasionally intervene on other components of the recipe: Unpeated (obviously with unpeated malt), Virgin Oak (which uses only new American casks for ageing), Double Matured (which, alongside ex-bourbon casks, replaces the classic ex-sherry casks with ex-Bordeaux wine casks), Kiln Dried Oak (matured in new casks whose staves have been accelerated dried in the malting kiln) and Air Dried Oak (where the staves of the new casks have been air-dried in the USA for two years).
The latest addition, in January 2025, this High Enzyme uses unpeated barley with a high enzyme content, typically used in mashing to produce grain whiskies or for beer production. Compared to the distillery’s classic recipe, the ex-sherry casks disappear, leaving only the ex-bourbon casks for twelve years of maturation.
Tasting Notes
Fruit and malt are the first to reach the nostrils on the nose, a medley of tropical (pineapple, mango, unripe banana) and non-tropical flavours (peach, green apple, Williams pear, white grape, lime) garnished with dry biscuits. The second row is dominated by sugar, in the form of cotton candy and almond confectionery, with slight hints of aniseed and a vanilla base. Incisive vegetal notes run through the aromas, including green wood and hay. Young with hints of grain.
On the palate, it is dry and pungent, with a lively presence of chilli and black pepper, introducing vegetal aspects of wood, green tea, aniseed and balsamic and mentholated impressions. The fruit is unripe, including apple, pear, banana and pineapple, with bitter (liquorice root) and acidic (gooseberry) inflections, accompanied by hints of coffee and bitter cocoa. In the background, there is a mineral vein that is at times metallic, marzipan and Digestive biscuits.
The finish is quite long, dry and tannic, with wood, unripe fruit, marzipan, vegetal notes and spices.
Review: There is no doubt that the final result is in stark contrast to what Benromach usually produces, sacrificing the distillery’s elegance in favour of drier and sharper notes. In this sense, the experiment has been successful. Perhaps the final result is not overwhelming, but it is still interesting and enjoyable.
Vote: 84/100