Nestled in the heart of Forres, Scotland, Benromach Distillery released a highly limited 50 Years Old single malt. As always, Benromach prides itself with whiskies that are crafted by hand and overseen by the expert eyes honed by years of experience.
Bottled at 54.6 per cent ABV, the whisky offers a medley of aromas and flavours. On the nose, expect a burst of lemon zest with a whisper of subtle smoke. The palate is greeted by layers of stewed fruit, orange zest, and a hint of aged leather, all coming together for a long, full finish marked by cracked black pepper and lingering smoke.
Stephen Rankin, Director of Prestige at Gordon & MacPhail, said that it's the human element that plays a major role in the whisky's 50-year maturation. "We have our distilling team watching the process of the whisky play out. They are just learning and evolving, developing these whiskies and looking back on how they would ultimately turn out. Keith [Cruickshank, Benromach's Distillery Manager] takes great pride in this project, having had a hand in the maturation of all the whiskies at the distillery."
“I’m incredibly proud to oversee this release,” Cruickshank says. "The Benromach 50 Years Old is a true celebration of our heritage and craft, created entirely by hand. It’s a whisky that reflects the spirit of our distillery, and the decanter captures that same passion.”
In true Benromach fashion, the liquid is presented in exquisite handcrafted glass decanters, designed by renowned artisans at Glasstorm, a hot glass studio in Ross-shire. These decanters were sculpted using the delicate "battuto" technique, where the molten glass is beaten into the bottle shape.
Brodie Nairn, Glasstorm’s owner, says that "there’s a beautiful synergy between glassblowing and whisky-making." "Both crafts require years of honing, often passed down from master to apprentice. The battuto technique used for these decanters is a tradition I learned in Italy 25 years ago, and I knew this project was the perfect way to showcase it.” There are only 248 bottles available worldwide and, like the whisky, great care and expertise are lavished on each bottle that's handmade.
Given that there needs to be some substantial groundwork to be laid out, will Benromach be able to put out another far-older expression?
"That's a really good question. A tough question to ask. Will [a] Benromach [whisky] reach the dizzy heights of 70 or 80 years?" Rankin muses for a beat. "The chances are slimmer. A lot slimmer. We've casks from that period of time but there's less certainty around it; it all boils down to the quality team.
"Benromach has the Heritage collection, which are from the casks [already maturing] before [Gordon & MacPhail] took over the distillery. These whiskies are absolutely beautiful but the character for those are a bit lighter than what we currently have today. Our current whiskies have more tropical notes and have a reasonable body to them. Only the most exceptional cask will make it. So, can we get a 70-year-old? There are not many left [casks] from the 1960s or the early 70s. We have casks right through to '83—so at the moment, I would say there's maybe the odd cask but it would probably be from the 80s. Which means when it comes out, it'll be in 2050.
"We'll have to meet then and talk about it," Rankin says with a laugh.
The Benromach 50 YO retails for SGD31,500 and is available now
