A new Benromach , is always a reason to be merry, and as they’ve been making some outstanding whiskies recently, I had high hopes for this one. It’s a limited edition (this time really limited with only 3,500 bottles), consisting of a 2007 vintage BR , aged in ex-Sassicaia wine casks from Bolgheri. I did not have a chance of trying the former edition, And i do think i’ve had only a few Sassicaia wood whiskies so far (It’s not a hugely popular wine cask to use with whisky as it turns out).
Benromach Sassicaia Wood Finish 2007 , 45.0%, £40.25 
Nose: A lovely melange of red fruit (berries of all sorts) as well as spices, mostly on cinnamon and clove, with a nice touch of smoke that has become the BR trademark (at least for me), a quite earthy yet meaty smoke, with additional malt and further fruit.
Palate: More red fruit, as the nose suggests, with more spice, pepper, cinnamon and yet another wave of fruit, with raspberries, citrus and a hint of chocolate.
Finish: The finish is filled of BBQed fruit, with some smoke, and a lingering touch of spice.
Bottom line:
This is a very nice whisky, however it does not rise up to the hights of the 10 year old / 100 proof. For those who like a fruity touch with the smoke, it’s an interesting alternative. I for once, will remain loyal to the 10 year old, in this price range.
Nice article my friend. It’s indeed lovely. I still have 2 in my shop left.
Cheers mate!
Nice review, but, although I occasionally try a wood-finished version offered by more and more distilleries nowadays (e.g. Glenmorangie), I often think they are way overpriced (Dalmore also being a good example, I would never pay over a hundred bucks for their King Alexander III, no matter what fancy casks it was matured in!). I mean I can understand that people are eager to try out new flavours…
Guess I am old-fashioned. I want to know the exact age of a whisky , so that I can ascertain for myself if it is worth the (extra) money.
well, it’s mainly giving the people more versions to choose from. if you’re not a wine cask fan, most likely you’re better off with the regular. like this example, where the 10 yo is SOOOO good, and VFM it’s much better than any wine / finish they could ever make…
but, people want more choice. even if it costs more. right?
more 10 yo for us, then.