Innovation can be a double-edge sword. Born out of a natural curiosity, with no motives other than wanting to see what would happen, a product can quickly be taken to heart. Innovation for its own sake though is rarely welcome and a cynical cash grab is often called out.
Last year, Benromach released a triple distilled malt. Whilst the method itself is not ground breaking (Springbank, Auchentoshan and Benriach all come to mind as Scottish triple distillers), this is the first ever effort from the Speyside distillery.
The ethos of the distillery (and the owners Gordon & MacPhail) means it is easy to put this in the former camp when it comes to trying something outside of the box. The wash was put through the wash still and the low wines through the spirit still as usual before getting sent back through the spirit still to add the third distillation. The spirit was put into first fill bourbon casks in 2009 and bottled 8 years later at 50% abv.
The details had me intrigued and I was happy to see the bottle open at the Wee Dram Whisky Festival held in Bakewell by the shop of the same name.
Benromach Triple Distilled 2009 – 50% – £45
Nose – very light initially. Fruity, with apple, pear and predominantly lemon. The fruit though feels a little synthetic, an approximation rather than the real deal. Rich tea biscuit and a floral ginger tea. With time, things become more spirit led, heading towards acetone. Vanilla also develops, in a style I usually associate with grain whisky. 5
Palate – light like the nose. Again seems more like a single grain than malt. Hints of sweetness and oak spice, but the flavours don’t quite develop in a frustrating manner. Towards the finish, the palate dries up, reminiscent of the wash. 4
Finish – short, sour and yeasty. 3
Total Score: 12 / 30
Well, this has to go down as a miss for me. It doesn’t seem like it’s the finished article. I wanted this to be good as it’s something Benromach didn’t have to do, but tried anyway and offered it out at a reasonable price. So despite the low score, I’ll be back for another try if an older version of triple distilled Benromach ever appears.
Peak Whisky 