Benromach 2002 KWM Cask 969

Tasting Notes

My Tasting Note

Nose: decadent, creamy, and fruity with clean smoke; buttery toasted oak and waxed parchment paper; crisp notes of lemon fade into softer melons and apricot; honeyed with clotted cream on warm scones; malty, with a touch of cheesy funk, and soft ashy smoke; my mouth is watering in anticipation.

Palate: sweet, smoky, and fruity with a waxy body and buttery oak; more chewy malt and cheesy funk, leaning in the comte direction; buttery oak, creamed honey, and more clotted cream on warm rustic scones; bright firm citrus, mostly lemon, but a bit of lime too, then sliding into honeydew melon, apricot, and more exotic tropical fruits: kiwi, banana, and papaya; the smoke hits hard at first, but tones down quickly, great mouthfeel.

Finish: long, full, and coating; the fruits, malt, and decadent oak tones slowly fade accompanied by soft waxy smoke.

Comment: this should come as no surprise, but this is another old school Benromach, channelling old bottlings of Brora and Longrow; the only shame here is that there are just 179 bottles... and they won't last long.

Distillery

Adapted from the article written by Andrew for the June 2023 edition of Celtic Life Magazine:

When Gordon & MacPhail purchased the Benromach Distillery in 1993, it was considered a curious acquisition, coming in the wake of one of the biggest busts to hit the Scotch Whisky industry. Global demand for Scotch had surged in the 1960s and 1970s and, unsurprisingly, the industry grew accordingly. However, by the early 1980s things were looking dark - the industry had massively overshot the mark and was now sitting on a proverbial Loch of Whisky. Most distilleries - the lucky ones - dramatically slashed their production. Nearly a quarter of all active distilleries in Scotland closed between 1983 and 2000, most of them forever.

Deemed to be a “surplus” distillery, Benromach was mothballed in 1983. Established in 1898 in the town of Forres, about 20 minutes outside of Elgin, Benromach’s history was rather unremarkable, though its whisky was always well regarded. In 1950, John Urquhart, who was then at the helm of Gordon & MacPhail (G&M), made a significant bid to purchase the Strathisla Distillery, but it would end up in the hands of another major whisky firm, Seagrams.

Gordon & MacPhail is a 128-year-old family business that has been owned by the Urquharts for four generations. They are, without question, the world’s preeminent independent bottler, uniquely laying down their own casks of new make spirit rather than purchasing mature whiskies from the open market. Of the 25 oldest whiskies ever bottled, almost all of them have been either bottled by G&M or, if bottled by others, the liquid was often bought back from G&M. The company doesn’t think or plan in terms of years, but rather in generations.

Gordon & MacPhail had sought to own a distillery for decades, and over the years it had also knocked repeatedly on the doors at Benromach, offering to purchase the distillery from Distillers Company Ltd./United Distillers & Vintners (now Diageo). They were repeatedly rebuffed until 1993, when G&M completed its acquisition of Benromach, 43 years after trying to purchase Strathisla.

To many industry observers this must have seemed like folly. However, smart investors - like many of the best run family firms - know that the best time to pull out the cheque book is when things are tough. Never ones to rush, they patiently rebuilt and refitted Benromach, ensuring that it was done properly so that customers could enjoy their premium product for generations to come.

King Charles, then Prince of Wales, was on hand for the distillery’s grand reopening in 1998. And while the overall production would be smaller than before, none would be assigned for blending. Benromach is now exclusively produced for consumption as a single malt.

The distillery has a relatively long fermentation process and employs a slow distillation - both of which create a more complex and fruity spirit. And, like its parent company Gordon & MacPhail, only fills spirit into the best quality oak; when it comes to wood policy, G&M and Benromach set the gold standard.

While the company has tried to honour the past by replicating its pre-closure taste - in the 19th century most Speyside whiskies would have been at least somewhat peated - its current offering is considered lightly peated.

Today, Benromach is one of the most compelling and exciting Scotch whisky brands. Its core range whiskies, such as the 10, 15, and now 21-year-old, are all excellent quality and very good value. The roots of that success go back far more than the 25 years since reopening: rather, it can be traced back more than a century to the original founding of Gordon & MacPhail whose initial mandate in 1895 was to sell “a superior article at a popular price.”

Benromach whiskies, especially the 10- and 15-year-olds, can be found at most good whisky retailers, while the 21-year-old is available in smaller quantities from selected retailers. The Benromach Distillery offers a range of tours and experiences 12 months of the year, and it is only a short drive from either Inverness or Elgin. Certainly, if you are going to make the trip to Benromach, you would be wise to visit Elgin and see the original Gordon & MacPhail shop.

Independent Bottler

Adapted from an article written for Celtic Life Magazine by Andrew Ferguson:

In 1895 James Gordon and John Alexander MacPhail opened a grocery business in the City of Elgin, the heart of Scotland’s Speyside whisky region. The business sold groceries, tea, coffee and wines from all over the world. 125 years later, Gordon & MacPhail still operates the grocery business in Elgin, but its real enterprise is as an Independent Bottler and Distiller of Scotch Whisky.

In the early years of the business Gordon and MacPhail brought in a young John Urquhart as apprentice. Urquhart had a knack for selecting and blending whiskies from local distilleries. He also began brokering casks and independently bottling single malt from famous distilleries like Glenlivet, Mortlach and Glen Grant. The practice of filling casks of new make whisky, rather than simply purchasing mature casks began at this time. This is something which sets Gordon MacPhail apart from almost all other independent bottlers to this day, and it gave them a leg up through leaner years. In 1915 John Urquhart was made senior partner, and though the firm would keep its name, from this point on it would remain privately owned by the Urquhart family.

In 1933 George Urquhart, aka “Mr. George”, joined his father in the business. He was heavily involved in the firm’s whisky business, travelling widely to showcase Gordon & MacPhail whiskies. G&M’s business thrived during and after World War II. Having had the foresight to lay down large numbers of casks in the 1930s and early 1940s, they were in a strong position to meet demand, especially in America. This was a difficult time for most of the industry with barley rationing dramatically reducing distilling.

In 1968, under George Urquhart’s leadership, Gordon & MacPhail launched the Connoisseurs Choice range. At a time when few distilleries were bottling their own whisky as single malt (rather producing it for use in Blended Scotch whiskies), Gordon & MacPhail began marketing single malts from distilleries across Scotland. The range is still being bottled today.

The third generation began entering the business with George’s son Ian Urquhart in 1967. He was joined by David Urquhart in 1972, as well as Michael Urquhart and Rosemary Rankin in 1981. The family firm continued to thrive even during the industry downturn of the 1980s and ear 90’s, emerging as the undisputed preeminent independent bottler of Scotch whisky. In the 2010s the torch was passed to the 4th generation, with at least five of John Urquhart’s descendants now involved in the business.

It had always been John Urquhart’s vision for the family to own a distillery of its own. The dream was finally realized in 1993 with the acquisition of the closed Benromach Distillery in the nearby town of Forres. The distillery was in rough shape, and it took nearly 5 years to get it up and running. HRH Prince Charles was on hand in 1998 for its official reopening. Never content to rest on their laurels, the firm announced plans in 2019 to open a brand-new distillery in the Cairngorms National Park. The Cairn Distillery is scheduled to open in 2022.

One of the most remarkable things about Gordon & MacPhail is the vision it had to mature whiskies to great ages. Few other whisky firms, whether distilleries or independent bottlers, have ever had the foresight to mature casks for more than 30 or 40 years. In 2010 G&M bottled the Generations Mortlach 70 Years Old, which was the oldest whisky ever bottled at the time. They followed up on that milestone by bottling 70-year-old Glenlivet in both 2011 and 2012. And then in 2015 they once again they raised the bar by bottling the Generations Mortlach 75 Year. Of the 10 oldest whiskies ever bottled, all but 2 have been bottled by G&M.

It is almost certain that Gordon MacPhail will one day bottle the first ever one-hundred-year-old whisky, but that may still be a couple of decades away. Their oldest maturing stocks are from the late 1930s and early 1940s. A number of these casks, 15 First Fill Sherry Butts to be precise, were filled for Gordon & MacPhail at the Glenlivet Distillery on February 3rd, 1940. Most of these casks have been bottled over the decades, but G&M dipped into another of these casks this year to bottle another whisky. The Generations Glenlivet 80 Year, once more the oldest bottle of Scotch Whisky ever bottled. It isn’t inexpensive, but I can vouch for it in one regard… it doesn’t disappoint!

Gordon & MacPhail whiskies can be found all over the world with whiskies ranging from under $100 to $100,000.00 or more. Their grocery shop in Elgin is the brand's spiritual home, with a section dedicated to Scotch Whisky that showcases more than 1000 bottles. Prior to Covid-19 the shop offered both tastings and in-store sampling. As does their nearby Benromach Distillery in Forres, one of the smallest and most traditional distilleries in the Speyside.