.benromach - 35yo

Yesterday, February 1, 2016, the Benromach distillery Company Ltd. released one of their rarest expressions to date; a 35yo expression, that was laid down for maturation in a first fill ex-Sherry cask in the 1980's. Today, February 2nd, we received a rather cold and open (!) package. Lucky for us, the omnipresent 10yo and the 35yo were both still available in the envelope.

43% abv, €565
single malt, non-chill filtered, natural colour

Nose: sweet, marzipan, citrus, oranges, lime, dragonfruit, marmalade, berries, gooseberries, fruit, mangos, dried fruit, cranberries, liquorice, tobacco leaves

Palate: sweet, a touch of honey, floral, honeysuckle, gentle, creamy, butter, berries, blackcurrant, dried fruit, cranberries, citrus, tangerines, limes, dragonfruit, a hint of liquorice

Finish:  medium long, sweet, very gentle, vanilla, creamy, fruit, dragonfruit, kiwi, a hint of liquorice
Mark: +++++ 

Conclusion: I am not enormously impressed. She is beautiful though, nose, palate and finish are quite gentle and easy going, but do not carry the weight one may expect when drinking a 35yo whisky from a 1st fill ex-Sherry cask. I would like to add that the dilution to 43% probably has taken away a little of the possible greater character, plus, I am missing the touch of smoke commonly found in the Benromach whiskies.

All in all - with a certain amount of time in the glass - a very good whisky, one we will not encounter soon very easily.

.many thanks to the good people of Benromach for sending us this sample