Benromach Distillery Exclusive (2004/2023)

Nose: Relaxed, mild smoke with a flowery fragrance and a hint of citrus. It’s like a blend of peat, rose petals and lemon blossoms. No sulphur, a smidge of vanilla and some very fresh oak aromas. With water the smoke gains sweetness. Palate: Sweet, fruity smoke pours onto the palate when tasted neat. It makes the mouth water with crisp citrus and light smoke but you can tell the palate is locked tight behind the alcohol. It’s only when it is watered that this truly shines. The palate then becomes almost alive with luscious orange and lemon flavours intertwined with sweet smoke. The texture, which is oily when neat, becomes deliciously creamy when watered. This is pretty close to a perfect smoky palate for me. Finish: Medium/Long: Lemon fading into the distance. An unusual, but delightful, distillery exclusive that does not smell anything like 19 years old, but neither is it young or brash. It’s curiously light and lively and the level of peat is still strong, but very elegant. This is like a refined version of the classic 15 year old. Neither the nose nor palate are particularly complex, but what they do have is perfectly presented. This is not a symphony, it’s a composition of few elements executed perfectly, like a Liszt prelude or a Mondrian. Distilled on 17/05/2004 and bottled on 01/08/2023 (bottle code 230200), cask #358 (a virgin oak cask) produced just 279 bottles of this nectar. This is the best Benromach I have tasted to date and it fully deserves a high rating. If you visit the distillery (which is the only way to experience it) make sure you have a taste. “Excellent” : 89/100 (4.75 stars)