Whisky: Benromach 43 Year (1975)

Country/Region: Scotland/Speyside

ABV: 54.6%

Cask: Refill Sherry Hogshead

Age: 43 (Distilled 1975, Bottled 2019)

Nose: Rich and fragrant with sugar cane, tropical fruit, and hints of salt. Sweet and grassy with freshly crushed cane, molasses, honey, and hints of earthy funk. Warm, musty wood, like walking through a tropical warehouse with notes of machine oil, grease, salty breezes whipped off an azure sea, and slightly tart rhubarb or grapefruit.

Palate: Rich and complex with sugar cane, earth, and fruit. Mouth coating and oily with slightly mineral-earth notes, floral macadamia nut honey, toasted coconut, and dehydrated strawberries. Demerara sugar and sweet grassy crushed cane led to notes of molasses, discarded crushed cane piled under the tropical sun, and an unctuous sugar wine waiting for distillation.

Finish: Lingering notes of brown sugar and coconut.

Score: 8

Mental Image: Kunia’s Finest Crushed Cane

Notes: The oldest malt I have ever tried, and boy, did the flavor profile match the age hype. Squinting and tilting slightly to the side, I could see how some of the modern core Benromach might reach this profile with enough time and luck. I was fascinated by the depth and clarity of flavors as the dram moved through distinct layers of sugar cane, wood, honey, and fruit. A friend thought the profile reminded him of Longmorn as fruit and tropical impressions built with each sip. It screamed Hawaii-Pacific cane cultivation and artisanal rum distillation with grassy sugars and sun-warmed wood. Hints of earthy funk and decay provided depth to the otherwise saccharine flavor profile. The earthy undertones emphasized the impression of walking the cane plantation under the tropical heat.

Overall, stellar and unexpected. I thought this might be good, but I was blown away by what turned out to be an outstanding unicorn bottle.

Image Credit: The Whisky Vault