What to pick when luring people into whisky, part 3: ‘old school’ whisky

It’s not that long ago, say a decade or so, that we were a bit strapped for choice if we had a sweet tooth for old school style whisky. Whisky like it was made yesteryear: a bit ‘dirty’, with a farmyard, often some oily – industrial and also a somewhat peaty and smoky flavour. Ignoring the indies here for a bit, you would either have to turn to Campbeltown and opt for all things Springbank (as Glen Scotia was still a bit all over the place back then), dig in deep on an oily and dirty Laphroaig or  Lagavulin or look north, towards Speyside, and go with Benromach. These days, it’s quite ‘en vogue’ to be bringing some of that old school style, and seeing how many of us can’t stop fanboying and fangirling on all things Kilkerran, Raasay, Bruichladddich,  Ardnamurchan, indeed Glen Scotia and, further away from Scotland, Amrut, it’s fair to say these whiskies have earned their place in the whisky pantheon.

So, choices a plenty these days, and luckily so. When I was asked to give a lecture/tasting to a group of whisky newbies, I decided to pick 5 Scotch single malt whiskies based on flavour profile. It was always clear to me that an old-school whisky would be part of the line-up.

As was the case with the other whiskies I reviewed in this series,  I could probably have picked at least half a dozen other whiskies to play the part of an old school whisky. But when trying to lure in people new to whisky, availability, affordability and accessibility (in terms of flavour and tasting experience) are key. The Campbeltown pundits would very likely proof to be a challenge – be it in terms of price, availability or accessibility,  and the same applies to Bruichladdich and the others I mentioned, I suppose. So by process of elimination, landing on Benromach 10 yo was an obvious choice, even if it doesn’t tick all of the ABCD boxes (Age statement, Bottling Strength, Chill filtering and Dye – colouring). On top of that, I’ll happily admit I picked this one  for quite subjective  and selfish reasons too.

Benromach 10 yo. 2022 release, 43% ABV, first fill bourbon and sherry cask matured,  natural colour, chill filtered,  app. €45 – €50

Discovering Benromach was a pivotal moment in my whisky journey. After falling in love with Laphroaig 10 in my early twenties, I spent the next decade chasing peat, peat and more peat. Snubbing and dismissing any whisky that didn’t smell like a well-used chimney or a bonfire of bandaids, I was convinced that Ardbeg and Laphroaig were the be all and end all of all things whisky. After the umptieth visit to my local liquor store, the proprietor had grown quite tired of me walking out with the same bottles I always picked up. He approached me and asked if I would be willing to consider something peated that wasn’t Ardbeg or Laphroaig, and upon agreeing, I left the store with a bottle of Benromach Peat Smoke. Initially meant as a gift for my father’s birthday (opened and tested on the spot), I was back soon enough to get me a bottle for myself. Long story short: it was Benromach that showed me the way towards all and everything whisky has to offer. Whether I should be grateful to said store manager for introducing me properly into what whisky has to offer or rather curse him for not telling me about the rabbit hole that lay ahead and thus costing me a shitload of money, I’ll leave that in the middle. In any case: I don’t think you would be reading this very post if it wasn’t for that epiphany moment.

As with Bunna 12, I’ve gone through my fair share of Benromach bottles, and also just as with Bunna 12,  I needed to reacquaint myself with this particular expression from Benromach, as I tend to gravitate more towards their Contrast and Cask Strength expressions these days.

Nose

Roasted nuts, soft smoke and gentle peat. Some ginger and spice. A warehouse/factory touch. Oily  and woody with a faint grassy touch going into wet hay, which goes on further into a dirty/industrial element  with notes of motor oil. But all in tune.

Palate

Warming with a gentle peaty-smoky note. Nutty, with a lovely balance of roasted and unroasted chestnut and hazelnut. On the mouthfeel, it’s viscous, despite also being slightly thin. Again some spices and pepper with a mineral and salty element to it and hints of wood.

Finish

Not overly long, with campfire smoke and dry wood.

Final Thoughts

It didn’t really surprise me that on the night of the tasting, this one split the crowd a bit. Some absolutely loved it, others found it – quite literally – a bit hard to swallow. Apart from this being challenging to some, You’d need to keep in mind that this was the second to last whisky of the night. Expecting people, especially people new to whisky, to go through 5 drams and keep a clear head and palate, is pushing things a bit, I’m sure. Even with 2 cl pours and with plenty of water and bread in between and during the tasting,  it proved to be quite the endurance race towards the end. Personally I find this style of whisky very attractive. It’s very nutty-woody driven, with a gentle smoke to it (more than actual peat), but it particularly scores points with that oily-industrial vibe. It’s by no means overpowering as it’s nestled nicely into the overall flavour experience. But, to kick down the open door:  it’s hard to get your head around the fact that they stick with the 43% ABV and the chill-filtering. Considering how they brand their spirit as old -school and handmade 'for genuine character', and the applause they receive for their absolutely fantatastic and utterly delightful 10 yo cask strength releases, it’s indeed a bit of a pity to see the whisky (and the customer) getting a bit shortchanged on this one. It’s good, almost very good whisky in its current form, but imagine just how excellent it could be if they went all-in on the ABCD’s. Benromach is often dubbed the Springbank of the north, and in my honest opinion, that’s a quite accurate comparison. So, dear people of Benromach and Gordon & MacPhail: please consider releasing this at 46% ABV, fully natural and without chill filtering. Charge us an extra fiver if needs be (it would still easily be €15 - €20 cheaper to what Springbank 10 retails for these days), and I’m confident you’ll be applauded and rewarded– if not by some medal or another, then surely in terms of sales figures - for allowing this gem of a whisky to shine like the star it is. But let’s not close this one with a focus on the negatives, because that too would be a pity. This is good, affordable and engaging whisky. And another thing  it has  going for itself, is consistency, as it is just as rewarding and tasteful as I remember it to be.

84/100