Benromach Vintage 2012 Single Malt - 1st Fill Sherry Hogshead Antipodes - CASK STRENGTH - 60.5% abv

Using only first-fill casks to mature its single malt, it owns five warehouses with a total capacity of 18,000 casks. Overflowing with vitality and incredibly well-balanced, this version very naturally stages a deeply rooty peat in the heart of a flavour and aroma palette that is heavily influenced by its sherry cask maturation.

Refined, distinguished. The very elegant first nose is a subtle combination of lemon, candied fruits (pear, ginger), honeyed (heather), chocolate, floral (dandelion, daffodil, buttercup), delicately peaty and smoky (sooty) fragrances. Allowed to breathe, the aroma palette’s infinitely malty dimension flourishes, just like its wonderfully fruity rancio (apricot, peach, melon).

Concentrated, rich. Behind an initial sequence that is finely woody, empyreumatic (sleet) and earthy (translucent peat), the attack reveals absolutely delicious richness (grape cake, spice bread, walnut cake). Next, rhubarb tart, strawberry, stewed apple and cinnamon flavours feed a very dense and complex mid-palate. The delicately bitter and medicinal (iodine tincture) end of the palate is flooded with several plant liqueurs (gentian, génépi, verbena).

Full-bodied, silky. The praline start of the finish reveals extremely sophisticated citrus fruit notes (orange, mandarin). These fruits release a juice whose sweet and tangy tones refresh the taste buds right at the ideal moment. The very long end of the finish is spicy (ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg) and tertiary (sweet chestnut, walnut). The empty glass releases honeyed and fruity (apricot, melon) fragrances.