Benromach’s entry-level dram tonight. No age statement but it’s pleasing to see there’s no caramel added…

Serious bourbon influence here – hard boiled sweets, loads of vanilla, new oak.

Nice balance with young malt though, the barley’s not overpowered.

Is that a wee puff of smoke too? I think it might be.

A pleasing dram.

3/5

Benromach Sassicaia, 45%. G+M bottling.

Really sweet on the nose, beautiful malted barley, very slight sherry notes and a whiff of smoke. Very subtle.

On the palate, it explodes with sweet fruit and a little more smoke (more like woodsmoke than peat or coal though). Vanilla from the oak and, again, the biscuity barley is quite noticable.

Lovely long sweet but peppery dry finish.

Water doesn’t change it hugely, it becomes slightly herbal, the smoke is a bit more evident and a lowland-esque grassiness becomes apparent.

I don’t know how old it is, I would guess less than 10 years.

A really enjoyable dram and a fairly characterful one, not what I was expecting at all – I hadn’t realised the barley was peated.

Difficult to score though, nothing to complain about but I don’t love it. A 3 or a 4 I would say, let’s go for 3 because I generally prefer stronger flavours : the peat monsters and the sherry beasts.

If you like them sweet and teasingly subtle, you might just love this.