Review #962 - Benromach Contrasts: Peat Smoke (2014)
After Benromach rebranded in 2020, they introduced a new series of whiskies to their range: the Contrasts series. Here we have the Peat Smoke release from the Contrasts series, specifically a batch distilled in 2014 and bottled in 2023 at an age of 8 years. There are several batches of this Contrasts: Peat Smoke release; actually, before the Contrasts series, there were previous Peat Smoke releases under the old branding, one of which we looked at in one of our earliest reviews.
This 8 year whisky was matured in first fill ex-bourbon casks, which should give us a chance to see the character of the distillate while also rounding off some of the youthful and spirity notes. Speaking of that distillate, the focus here is peat: Benromach is generally a lightly-peated whisky, but the batches of spirit used for this release used malted barley peated to a much higher level of 57 ppm. Since this is a relatively young whisky, that peat level should still be fully intact.
Benromach Contrasts: Peat Smoke (2014)
Scotland/Speyside - Single Malt
Price: USD 60 (2026)
Age Statement: 8 Years
Strength: 46% ABV
Cask Makeup: First fill ex-bourbon barrels
Details: Not chill filtered, no color added; distilled 2014, bottled 2023
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 17 months; bottles at 90%, 80%, and 70% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a nosing glass each time, rested 15+ minutes
Nose: Bright and peaty - lemons, vanilla, creosote-like peat, quite a bit of smoke. There are some green key lime notes and a bit of a vegetal side... overall, it leans sweet, and we get creamy malt, vanilla icing, and a bit of licorice. More sharp medicinal and spirity notes pop up over time.
Palate: Mineral notes of slate and charcoal, medium to strong peat, and some lighter fruit notes of pear and fizzy lemon-lime soda. This palate reflects the nose very well; we also get mineral water, creosote, a buttery malt spirit, and very soft oak influence. The mouthfeel thickness is medium at most.
Finish: Hints of lighter fruits like banana, lime, and lemonade, then some charcoal and fizzy mineral notes. The peat is still relatively strong, and we get accents of white sugar, white bread, and brine. It's a medium-long finish.
Final Note: There isn't really anything wrong with this whisky from Benromach, but we also found that it lacked some of that distillery character that we love from the brand - not as much savory, earthy funk and licorice as we generally get in their whiskies. There is a decent amount of peat, but past that, we found this to be a somewhat generic ex-bourbon single malt with some light fruit and light baking spice flavors. It's tasty, but a little bit plain.
Value is still above average, though, as the price is quite fair at $60. We get good pricing on Benromach products here in the US, so they're a brand we generally recommend if you can find it.
Our Rating: 6.7 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 6.81
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
