The Benromach 100 proof and 10 year old were two of my favorite whiskies for 2015, and many fellow whisky lovers appreciate the exceptional quality and great VFM those two offer. The 10 year old has a new (not so new now, but fairly new) small brother – the 5 yo. The 10 and 100 proof do feel older than their 10 year age statement, I was hoping the 5 would display a similar quality, let’s see about that. At any rate you’ve got to give it to Benromach for releasing a young whisky at only 5 with an Age Statement. The 5 year old is a vatting of 80% bourbon cask matured and 20% Sherry cask mature whiskies.
Benromach 5 Year Old , 40% abv, £26
Nose: Well first thing that comes to mind is that This smells very young. Well duh! It’s only five years old I know but for some reason I was expecting something a bit more mature, given how the ten years old felt like. Ok. Lots of malty notes as well and a yeasty feel to it. Giving it time is a good idea. After a few minutes there are more hints of Apple , smoke and Lemon.
Palate : on the palate its ashy and smoky With bitter almonds earthy peppery ash and fresh apples, marmite on burnt toast.
Finish: Ashy smoke, with an earthy bitter touch.
At first sniff I did not like the whisky, it felt too young and not mature enough, but after letting it rest in the glass for say 10 minutes, it has improved greatly. While it is not as good as the brilliant 100 proof / 10 yo, it is not a bad whisky, and at around 26 quid, it’s a nice sipper with a nice earthy smoky and ashy edge, as well as the apple fruity side. For 8 quid more you can purchase the excellent 10 year old, which makes buying this one even harder. A good place to start if you like the BR profile, and on a tight budget, otherwise – opt for the 10 year old.
Score: 81/100
Cheers , Shane – for the sample.