Whisky : Benromach 2007 Cask Strength (Batch 1, 2018)

Country/Region : Scotland/Speyside

ABV : 58.2%

Age : 11 Years (Distilled 2007, Bottled 2018)

Nose : Cigar smoke, leather, and malty cereals.  Sweet notes of tobacco smoke, cigar box, and savory kamaboko broth.  Hints of cinnamon and caramel along with dried leather, tanned cow hides, and an antiseptic undercurrent.

Palate :  Medium bodied with a nice viscosity and sweet toasty profile of earth, spice, and tobacco.  Medicinal iodine swabs came to mind right away along with modeling clay and digestive biscuits.  Earthy notes of a dried cattle pond, ginger root, and fruity sarsaparilla.  Toward the end was dark caramel, old tobacco pipes, and leather chairs.

Finish : Lingering toasty oak sugars and subtle sarsaparilla.

Score : 4

Mental Image : Summertime Cigars

Notes :  This was a tad hot and a tad sweet for my taste.  A few drops of water smoothed things out but washed away some of the lovely savory notes.  This was a fun combination of tobacco smoke— it reminded me strongly of the one summer I got into cigars and made them a Friday night on the porch tradition— along with hints of hospital antiseptic and earthy spices.  There was a good maltiness that really held everything together nicely.  Despite the fond memories, this was a bit simple which meant it never really stood out any time I tried it.  That said, it did leave me curious about the other distillery products as there were some nice elements.

Overall, a big malty Speysider that made for a lovely introduction to the distillery.  While this was not really to my taste, it definitely left me intrigued to try more.