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On Tuesday, the Speyside scotch whisky distillery, Benromach, announced it’s shifting focus across the pond for one of its most exclusive bottlings to date — a 50-year single malt scotch with a $25,000 price tag. Whether or not it’s worth the pretty penny may depend on your appreciation for the bygone techniques of liquor history.
Bottled at 54.6% ABV, the limited-edition release incorporates what Benromach terms a Speyside traditional distilling practice. Malting its barley with a “whisper” of peat smoke, the brand imbues its spirits with a subtle smoldering flavor oft unused in the current whisky landscape. Benromach claims that it is the only operating distillery that utilizes the method.
According to Forbes, the distiller’s latest scotch was filled into Oloroso sherry casks on Dec. 13, 1972. Half a century later, it’s finally been brought to consumers by way of just 248 bottles. Benromach says that the “much-anticipated moment” represents one of its first concerted forays in the American market.
“Each element of Benromach 50 Years Old has been crafted by hand using traditional techniques. This includes the decanter, which not only mirrors the spirit in terms of quality but also embodies the passion and meticulous attention to detail that has gone into crafting it,” distillery manager Keith Cruickshank remarked in a news release.
The historied distiller dates its roots to 1898. Founded by Duncan McCallum and F.W. Brickman in the town of Forres, Scotland, the Benromach name has undergone much changing of hands over the years.
Weathering the infamous Pattinson whisky crash, the Great Depression and two world wars, the brand teetered in and out of production throughout the 20th century. It was eventually acquired by bottler Gordon & MacPhail in 1993, leading to the distillery’s now-ongoing revival in 1998.
Today, the brand’s core offerings include Benromach 10 YO and Benromach 15 YO, which garnered a Raided Score® of 89 and 90 on our site, respectively. Reviewers have made note of the distiller’s old-school production method, commenting on the scotch’s laid-back peat character that gives way to heftier flavors of vanilla, barley, stone fruit and cocoa.
Benromach’s latest 50-year age statement (its second to date) comes packaged inside a handcrafted decanter designed by Ross-shire-based Glasstorm. The hot glass studio used a “battuto” technique on each bottle that produced carefully hammered indents from top to bottom. Not enough to crack the glass and spill its five-figure contents, we’d hope.
“There is great synergy between the craftsmanship of glass blowing and whisky making. It takes years to harness the skills, passing down from master to apprentice. I first learned the battuto technique from a master glassblower over in Italy 25 years ago and in turn I’ve trained my team,” Glasstorm owner Brodie Nairn commented. “It has taken me a long time to find a project special enough to use it on but, at last, I found the perfect one.”
For more information on Benromach 50 Years Old, check out the brand’s website here.
Benromach 50 Years Old Tasting Notes, Via the Brand
- Nose: Smooth citrus peel with hints of strawberry and a touch of smoke. Pineapple notes come to the fore, alongside fruitcake and a dash of lemon sherbet.
- Taste: Stewed fruit aromas are complemented by orange zest and a hint of aged leather. Medjool dates and flambeed banana give way to toasted almonds.
- Finish: Full and long finish with cracked black pepper and a wisp of smoke.