Benromach 2005 (bottled 2015) Hermitage Wood Finish Whisky

Vanilla custard on the nose, overlayed with wood, restrained smokyness, ripe tropical fruit. Appealing and intruiging.
On the palate, smoke, vinous sweetness, bourbon cask predominating over gentler malt. Mouthfeel is subtantial; oily almost chewy able to carry well at 45% alcohol. Watered with soft well water to about 38% brings out more clearly malt, wholemeal biscuit, jammy sweetness, tar and gentle smoke.
Finish is smokey, sweet fruit, long and full.
As a Speyside, this is neither classic nor an experimental oddity of a dram. The marriage of smokey malts and multiple cask aging can produce questionable results, Benromach Hermitage avoids this. Ambitious, appealing, worth trying.

Smells more like vodka than scotch, tasteless on the tongue with an unpleasant characterless aftertaste. Suitable to be mixed with cola on the rocks.

This is a dynamic gem. So full bodied flavourful. Deep, rich and smoky. Has taken my palate to another dimension. Try it well you can.