I'd had these in the review queue for awhile, as they're currently sitting on the shelf at stupid prices at Binny's (due to some distributor closeouts, no doubt) and I happen to be a confirmed Benromach fiend: I already reviewed the 10 ([ Ссылка ] ) and the 15 ([ Ссылка ] ). And then Ralfy did his own review of the 10 a few days ago ([ Ссылка ]), denounced it loudly - take a sip every time he says that chill-filtration is a disgusting habit - and gave it an 84. And, well, now I feel like I need to editorialize.
To sum up: is chill-filtration stupid and bad? Yes, absolutely. Should BR10 be bottled at slightly higher strength? Sure. Is it annoying that Gordon & Macphail don't tell you what they're doing to their whisky on the label? Yes, absolutely. Is Benromach 10 the equivalent of the 84-point Knockando 12 that Ralfy reviewed a year ago ([ Ссылка ] )? No, no way in hell, and I cannot imagine any experienced, knowledgeable, and (importantly) charitable reviewer thinking so. Husserl and his principle of all principles (Ideen I, par. 24) come up. Point being, if the devil himself put out a whisky we would still be obliged to judge it fairly (if also obliged to point out, in addition, that the producer is indeed said devil).
But then there's the bottlings in question here, which also (annoyingly) aren't marked as unchillfiltered even though they very well might be. Stats:
- Benromach "Peat Smoke" 2008-2018 10 Year Old Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky (OB; peated to 67ppm, probably exclusively ex-bourbon casks; 46% ABV), 85+/100
- Benromach "Cask Strength" Batch 1, 2007-2018 11 Year Old Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky (OB; matured in ex-sherry and ex-bourbon; 58.2% ABV), 88+/100
The Peat Smoke, weirdly, comes across as less peaty than the standard 10... but it might be my new favorite entry-level Lowlands malt. Meanwhile the Cask Strength is basically a stronger, more cask-heavy version of the 10: it feels more "contemporary," or at least less Springbanky, but that doesn't always mean worse.
Extra special thanks to my Different Spirits on Patreon ([ Ссылка ]) -
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