Benromach 10 Year Old 70cl

Honey, orchard fruit, and a flicker of smoke, all in one Speyside single malt. Benromach 10 Year Old is the bottle you pour when you want something classic, but not boring. It’s friendly enough for newer whisky drinkers, yet layered enough to keep the rabbit-hole people happily distracted.

If your current routine is “Speyside equals sweet and simple,” this one gently ruins that (in a good way). You still get the cosy malt-and-fruit core, but there’s also a subtle smoky edge and a touch of spice that keeps each sip moving. It’s the kind of dram that makes you stop scrolling and actually pay attention to what’s in your glass.

• Nose: Honey and vanilla up front, then green apple, pear, and a light smoky drift like a distant bonfire.
• Taste: Malty sweetness with toffee and baked apple, a little citrus lift, and a peppery warmth that shows up right on cue.
• Finish: Medium-long, drying and gently smoky, with lingering spice and a final hit of sweet malt.

How to drink it: start neat to catch the honey-and-apple Speyside character, then add a few drops of water to pull out more vanilla and that soft smoke. Also, yes, it absolutely works in an Old Fashioned if you like your cocktail with a bit of backbone (it won’t disappear behind the sugar and bitters).

This is also a great “bridge bottle.” If you’ve been living on easy Speysides like Glenlivet 12 or Glenfiddich 12 and you’re curious about a hint of smoke without going full Islay, this is a smart next step. It’s familiar, but it’s got a twist.

And for the Speyside crowd who thinks they’ve tried it all, Benromach brings a slightly more rugged vibe than the usual polished fruit-bomb profile. You get sweetness, sure, but there’s structure too, spice, a touch of earthiness, and that whisper of smoke tying it together.

Fun Fact: Benromach is known for making Speyside whisky with a deliberately “old-school” character, including a noticeable touch of smoke that’s rarer in the region than you’d think.