A wonderful Benromach, released as part of their excellent series of Wood Finishes. This dram was matured in former Bourbon barrels for 6 years, before being deposited into a former Hermitage wine cask for an additional 31 months (a little over 2 and a half years).
Hermitage is an Appellation D’Origine Contrôlée known for producing some of the very finest red wines in the world. Many of the vines here were first planted in Roman times, with some said to date back even earlier. The area takes its name from the legendary Knight Gaspard de Stérimberg, who returned to France injured from the Crusades, and received the permission of the Queen of France to build a small dwelling in which to recover. He did so on the top of the hill that makes up much of the Appellation’s area. The Knight never returned to society, and lived out his days as a hermit, thus giving the region its name. Hermitage is seen by many to be the home of Syrah grapes.
Therefore, we can safely say that this Benromach has a fantastic provenance of cask. The result of this very special cask finish is to imbue the malty, sweet and vanilla-rich spirit of Benromach with decadent fruity red grape notes, dark chocolate and some beautiful tannic overtones. The final product is a rich and complex dram.
The bottle is presented at 45% ABV, and without either chill filtration or colouration, allowing the natural characteristics of the whisky to take hold. This is one of the most fantastic value for money whiskies around.