Benromach Traditional Speyside Single Malt

Whiskey is Good — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 14:30:21 +0000

Re-opened by Prince Charles in 1998, this distillery produces a variety of bottlings, of which the Traditional is the probably the youngest. And you can taste it. The absence of barrel taste makes me wonder if this qualifies as scotch, and the variety of other flavors (cream, smoke, citrus, flower) is a bit egregious for my taste. That said, the blend could be interesting for some, individual flavors aren’t too poignant, and the overall taste is mild. (Sorry for the low quality image. We’ll get a better one if we can find it.)

Virginia Gentleman – Small Batch

Whiskey is Good — Wed, 12 May 2010 15:42:34 +0000

As you know, we like to give states other than Kentucky a voice, too. This week’s offering is a hybrid: Virginia Gentlemen, distilled by A Smith Bowman Distillery is distilled three times, twice in Kentucky by the Buffalo Trace Distillery, then again in Virginia where it is aged in charred barrels, officially making it bourbon.

So, does this third distilling across a state border make it any better? In my opinion, not at all. It seems it just misses in almost every way. Straight, it’s too harsh. Mixed, it’s too sweet. The flavors you want don’t seem to stand out in the right ways, or at all, and the flavors you want to be subtle jump to the front. All this being said, it has won numerous awards and has a decent name for itself, but in my opinion, not a great showing. I would suggest sticking with Buffalo Trace’s own label instead of venturing into this line.

Whiskey is Good » Rating: 5.5

Benromach Traditional Speyside Single Malt

Virginia Gentleman – Small Batch