🥃 Whisky van Zuylen

G&M has been doing great things out here. Rich flavors, good ratios. A little grotesque, but nice.

Serge from Whiskyfun says:Benromach 15 yo (43%, OB, 2015) Colour: full gold. Nose: good dust, you see what I mean? Shoe polish, old tin boxes, old books, waxed paper, pinesap, carbon paper… All that on a bed of paprika and white pepper, plus bitter oranges and whiffs of Worcester sauce. And Tabasco. Fun stuff, in a very dry style, I’m very curious about the palate. Won’t it be too dry? Mouth: no! Start with some peated leather (what?) and more of those bitter and sour sauces, as well as a feeling of, say ginger and tobacco, 50/50. It is a little odd in some way, but the singularities alone make this a worthy whisky. I find it delightfully un-commercial, and couldn’t find any traces of some dreadful vanillin and coconut. Finish: rather long, with some green pepper, perhaps, and some smoke. Very leathery and slightly metallic aftertaste. Comments: not a very easy style, and at times it made me think of contemporary Springbank and Longrow because of its idiosyncrasies. I may prefer the younger tens, but this baby’s very fine for sure. For true malt lovers (oh come on). SGP:362 - 86 points.

N- Charming fresh nutmeg with curious plasticine, chrysanthemum tea smokes, old books, tree-sap. Entertaining stuff if you are looking for something different. P- Dry, presents of active wood, solid build with rich dark berries, fine full body red wine. F- Long and smooth, with return of spicy pepper and herbal powder. Unusual speysider. Good stuff. — at The Whisky Bar, Kuala Lumpur.

It is no secret that I'm a fan of Benromach. And the 15yo certainly is a step up from the regular 10yo. It's a bit richer and has some more depth.

First impression: wow, this is really similar to Bowmore! The same soft, leathery peat smoke; the same mild but pronounced sherry influence. Really could've mistaken this for a Bowmore if I were having this blind. Sweet smoke and apricots on the nose, alongside herbal notes like camphor and myrrh. Tobacco leaves, chamomile and jasmine tea in the background. Definitely more on the herbal / spicy than the fruity side. The nose improves a little with one or two drops of water. Starts off massively leathery and rich in the mouth, the smoke keeps building up until the middle of the development, when a herbal bitterness (sounds worse than it is) takes over. There's a subdued sweetness, a slight citrus zing, and a welcome alcoholic lift throughout, all of which help to keep things fresh and appealing. Might've gotten too musty otherwise. The finish is okay, if a little unspectacular: at first, a short peppery kick and an echo from the spirit that reminds me of the smell of ozone. After that, the smoke returns to linger. Leather and soft smoke in the aftertaste. Very gentlemanly. Might've done with a higher ABV. I had heard that this was a pretty austere and contentious malt, but that's not my impression at all. Instead, I find this very reserved, mature, and elegant. It's supremely easy to drink, with plenty of soft notes, a kind of Talisker Light (or Craft Bowmore). Definitely worth buying a bottle (though perhaps not two).

Becomes more delicious with other slips, gains more strength and fruit, has some nice notes and is at least my favorite Benromach (without having had the 30s;))

Great combination of vanilla, sherry, fruit and light sooty peat smoke. Very nicely done. Not unlike the 10s, maybe a little more oak. But negligible.

Overall a nice, gentle malt, reminiscent of something towards Bowmore in places. In the nose a nice light smoky note paired with a great fruitiness with exotic hints. The taste is then more on the spicier / bitter side with mineral hints. The finish drops off slightly. Overall a good malt. (Rating: o)

COLOR: dark gold (without dye) - a damn good 15 year old single malt whisky - very successful and elegant to drink - convinces with high quality, great bourbon sherry Flavors and a (super PLV of about 60€ at the time)

Excellent continuation of the new line of Benromach, a successful combination of sherry and bourbon barrels - all the derivatives are clearly distinguishable, do not interfere with each other, harmoniously merging into one, adding depth and complexity, all this with a commercial fortress and it is quite enough, excellent pitches, balance - successful release.

Fine and delicate smoke, nose more inclined towards bourbon, greengage, citrus fruits, braised vanilla. It's a bit rural, even bocage. Cooked vegetables, carrots, beans and leeks. Mouth of white fruits, grapes, pears and plums, coarse salt, vanilla accompanied by a hint of sweetness, lychee, mango. Tart apple, a little lemonade, sparkling spices, long and very sweet finish, floral reflections, jasmine, honeysuckle, vanilla pod, soy milk, woody reflections. It's not bad at all, and if you find a copy at a reasonable price, don't hesitate. https://ilikesky2020.blogspot.com/2020/06/benromach-15-yo.html

The reduced side is not disabling, because noticeable. The nose is very engaging, the mouth easy to access, and the final a bit too short. All in all it's good, it's business!

I'm a friend of> 15 years, but this whisky has a hard time making a good impression against its younger 10s. First of all: for me 50/50. Both have something that the other does not have and vice versa.

Evaluation was made during a 4-person blind tasting with 2 befriended whisky lovers.

Huh nice value whisky, just little bit too deliciated at the nose, really would like to try 2000s IB Benromach... Some little bit more rough... Who knows maybe it will become available after little bit more of market shake... :) Stay at palate for long, high quality whisky definitely... I can not find fault to this one... I am always trying to have at least one bottle from this distillery... Really underrated, fair price for great whisky

no question, this is a lovely dram. maybe the tenner is a little fresher and more spontanieous. 88/100

A little crap! Especially on taste and aftertaste, on sensations for 50%. The aroma is good. 10 Benromach liked more.

Balance (22) Unexpectedly good! (87)

TASTING NOTE LMDW Profile: affirmed and right. Fruity (melon, watermelon) and spicy (black pepper, ginger and nutmeg). Color: old gold with copper highlights. Nose: ample, firm. From the outset, Benromach's assertive and straightforward style comes out in the open. With a simplicity that rings true, this 15-year-old is showing resplendent maturity. Sherry brings a lot of citrus, beeswax and some salinity and dark chocolate. The bourbon casks adorn it with herbaceous notes (sage, verbena), vanilla and spices (pepper, nutmeg). The set is very harmonious and old-style look. Palate: tense and yet pleasant. Lighter than the nose could suggest, its attack is particularly fruity (melon, watermelon). Very quickly, spices ensure a frantic tempo. There is black pepper, ginger and nutmeg. The end of the mouth is perfect pastry (Paris-Brest, vanilla custard). Final: long, dynamic. A very slight trace of peat and smoke (ashes) borders on the woods. Dried fruits (almond, date) confirm this evolution towards more aridity. It continues on notes of stone fruit (black cherry, prune). The retro-olfaction which oscillates between the precious wood and the malted barley is also intermittently greedy (vanilla ice cream). The empty glass is spicy (saffron).

a combination between the regular 10’s sweet and floral profile with the 10-100 proof’s dark woodsy notes, good but not as good as the 10 nor as satisfyingly intense as the 100 proof

noticeable more sherry compared to the 10yo and 100 proof, with nice plums, dried fruits, white pepper and subtle wood smoke. Very enjoyable, not only for sherry fans

The joy of showing diversity in aroma and taste. The finish is disappointing.

I tasted the Whisky Festival 2017. Aroma tastes well, well-balanced whisky.

This Benromach has the makings of an Every Day Dram. Tasty, but not really complex and very pleasing by the 43% (in a positive sense).

This is a good sherried dram, well made and complex, but feels a but flatter and less livelt than the 10 year old expressions. It's just good, not great.

a little bit own, but very round and coherent

rarely had such distinct tobacco aromas in a whisky, especially the finish I like very well A little higher alcohol content would be appropriate for the price, would certainly be interesting to experiment, but it is not too weak at 43% on the chest. a total of 90-91

Benromach 15 years, 43% alc. original bottling Benromach 15 years, 43% alc. original bottling Maturation: Predominantly bourbon barrels, approx. 10% in sherry casks, followed by a common finish in sherry casks (Oloroso) Region: Speyside, Scotland Nose: own, robust and interesting. Reminiscent of the 10-year-old in cask strength, but seems a bit drier. The bourbon barrels are still present, vanilla and caramel can be found, interspersed with various culinary herbs and eucalyptus. Furthermore fall on orange jam, candied ginger and candle wax, also a touch of leather. Palate: Wild and a bit confused: tropical fruits, including mangoes, kiwi and pineapple, followed by plums and spices (cloves, pepper and cinnamon). Here, too, the smoke falls a bit, ham in honey marinade, smoldering campfire, leather. The oak wood comes along with a pleasant bitterness. Finish: Long, earthy with a blend of root vegetables and chocolate. Conclusion: Special and daily form-dependent. A really good quality whisky, which was definitely not made just to meet as many tastes. However, he would have liked to have a few turns more. 88/100 points (tasted 2015, ca. 70 €) I thank the importer for the sample! Original article with photo: http://www.notesofmalt.de/notes-Speyside...ch-15yo,-43-OA/

2021-08-27

I was a bit frustrated on the 10 year-old, which I found too fungi. But the 15 year-old was way better

Very far from the level of success in his little brother of 10 years .... a dram that is drunk but nothing folichon. (Blinded)

Conclusion and pictures on: https://tomtrinkt.de

Great malt. You could spend forever with the aroma alone. Fruity, at the same time sweet, with dark and slightly tart roasted aromas. Really excellent.

Name: Benromach Series: N / A Distillery / Bottler: Distillery Bottling Age: 15yo Distilled / Bottled: n / a ABV: 43% Casks: Bourbon & Sherry Casks Cask # n / a Bottle: n / a wb # 68235 *** ????: dark gold ????: spicy, even very bitter bourbon, unfortunately, because of this sharpness, the fragrance is lost, 10yo was probably cooler in the nose, ????: surprise! Smooth, coherent sherry, slightly sherry, sweet, calm but also with a claw of pinching and incoming power! Cool! ????: warming up, not short, *** By the nose I would be NO and the language would be nice DD, it is a bit lacking in pugnacity, some character but it is not bad, even it is quite OK! As for me, the usual 10yo is a bit cooler because of its delicacy and greater consistency throughout the line. ????: 4/10 ????: 85/100

Good drinking, but I can not get rid of the feeling that at least 46% of the power would be even more intense

RATING: 86pts – |83 – 86 (B) → Good| — Not a “must”, but a nice-to-have.

My review can be found here: http://themaltdesk.blogspot.dk/2015/07/benromach-15yo-2015-distillery-bottling.html

A prime example of how great original bottlings with a low alcohol content can taste. The smoke and tobacco are dominant throughout and I like that! If the 10-year-old from Benromach already tasted good, I have to say that the 15y goes a step further here. That is a real buy recommendation.

Benromach 15 43% WID: 68235 Nose: Significant smoke, no gum notes, as I sometimes have with other smokers. Sweet fruit, herbs, moist tobacco, plum, leather. Taste: First sweet, then comes pleasant smoke. Smoke and sweetness are in a good balance. A bit of salt. Acidity spreads, then the wort comes from the oak behind. Finish: Wood and pleasant bitterness, but for me no chocolate or coffee, more herbal spicy, the smoke remains in the mouth for a long time. Conclusion: Could have a little more percent. The nose was a bit fuller for me than later the taste. But overall, I like it very much. Unfortunately, the sample is now empty. I would have liked to take another sip to try the sweet fruit again.

more sherry than the 10-year, very nice and mellow, easy to drink & lovely dram, may the 10yr has better price/value relationship but still very good for the 15 year

Whisky with a pleasant creamy texture in taste, beautifully smooth. Here I do not know - it is whisky, which has no significant ingredient, nothing to remember it. Overall, it's a pretty mature, very good thing. But I just miss something here. In memory, 10yo was a little more personal.

Light smoke on the nose, subtle sherry, hay and thyme. Spicy and soft in the mouth, almost watery and a little salty. Even more spicy in the finish with nutmeg, coffee and pepper and a bit fruity and only slightly smoky in the background. Could use a little more alcohol. Grade: 2+

Well done and very complex to discover a lot. Unfortunately not my personal taste. Somehow an artificial compilation.

Quite a lot more oak influence and less sweetness but more darker notes than in the 10yo due to 5 more years in (european) ex-sherry wood. A nice dram, but I prefer the younger one. https://dokla.net/dailydram/2015/06/30/tasting-benromach-15y/

Rather light-bodied. A bit too thin on the palate in my opinion, which falls slightly apart at times. Still very decent whisky. Tasted blind as the 11th whisky in my 2016 whisky advent calendar.

Tested without expectations - I was looking forward to the following dram. Then, however, got my full attention absolutely right. Very round and harmonious, great single matl

Off the bat it’s quite sweet and full, some barley sugar followed by brine. Sweet and salty is always a favorite! Beeswax, a little new leather and moss in the forest. I find all sorts of jams as well: Apricot, peach and my beloved orange marmalade. The mouth feel is creamy and start with a peppery catch. Good wood and lots of it. Medium sweet a little drying, compliments to the oak. Malted barley and some candied oranges. This one gets smoother and more palatable the second time around. Once in a while I encounter a Whisky that seems to improve with every sip, I do think that’s an asset. Slight hint of smoke and a salty breeze from the ocean…How poetic! Finishes long and leaves your mouth wanting more. What I always enjoy with Benromach is the lingering aftertaste of a traditional dunnage warehouse. Quite spectacular, as expected. G&M are doing what I would like to see more often: Single malt with character produced the traditional way! Big thums-up from me.

Benromanch 15yo is a mixture of 80% 9 yo first-fill bourbon casks with 20% 9 yo sherry casks, then finished the mixture in first-fill oloroso sherry casks for 6 years. I guess the 9 years in sherry casks are second-fill sherry casks. This means 15yo has a much stronger sherry influence than the 10 yo. And the lightly smoked whisky could be more oxidized than the 10yo. 2018 vintage, distilled around 2003. Smells so wonderful! Mild and balanced in the mouth. Very complex and full, matured. If it has a stronger finish, it will be on top of most of the whiskies for around 15 years. You will never be bored by this complex and balanced fresh flavor.

Sweet herbs and light smoke, then spicier, nutmeg, orange - very pleasant. Oily sweetness, orange, develops in the mouth, a sharp bizarre build-up on the tip of the tongue and then slowly fades away again, while wood and extremely light smoke settle in the mouth. In the aftertaste initially surprisingly short and above all characterized by a sweetish tingling sensation on the tip of the tongue, as well as a bit sour orange. The latter reverberates a little longer together with the light smoke.

Very fine standard, far from the well-known "Iconic Brands". A bit of smoke without dominance, just enough to add complexity. Combined with a beautiful sherry barrel maturation. Well balanced. Yes, you could safely put a bottle of it on the shelf.

Keeps getting better in an opened bottle. N: beeswax, honey, dried mushrooms, stewed plums, leather shoe polish, oloroso sherry (oxidative notes: caramel, walnut) , rich milk chocolate and dense umami. Improves with time in the glass, becoming sweeter. There’s a little “baby fat” - sharp alcohol burn on the nose - on a fresh pour that quickly dissipates with time in the glass (about 10 minutes) P: Much sweeter now, with a richly honeyed characteristic. Becomes sweeter and sweeter, into candied plums and prune raisins, with saliva interaction. Rich oloroso character. Hint of smoke. Dried mushroom, leather and chicken stew. Slight salinity. Oily mouthfeel; incredible flavor intensity for the alcohol volume. F: long, long, long and slightly warming. Smoke, oloroso sherry, honey, chicken stew and more umami. Sweet as well. This is incredible and the best whisky you can buy for the price. So, so different than the 10, which is much smokier and lacks any of the dense sweetness or umami (that is to say, the 10 is simpler and more brutish). 43% is the perfect strength; this whisky needs no additional flavor intensity. Worth every penny; likely a good buy even at a higher price. I have not tried the new bottling yet; fingers crossed it is identical.

Sweet nose, caramel flavor. Has a hot finish.