Craigellachie 13 and 17 have been talked about as alternatives to Springbank for the Springbank 10 and 18 and various channels have also discussed Benromach as an alternative. I think there is some truth to considering these expressions as SB alts! They are also cheaper, a lot, although the Craigellachie 17 is pretty pricey. Interesting video. Very enjoyable! In Canada the cheapest Springbank 18 on the secondary market which I generally avoid, with some exceptions, is $600 plus taxes and mailing charges. Very pricey. Kind of insane. I wouldn’t at that! The truth is that there are fabulous single malts, so many we could never have them all, so I often consider that when thinking through buying a very sophisticated, elegant expression on the market. Cheers!!
Thanks Christine, I agree there are so many amazing malts out there that it is important to consider alternatives when certain expressions become unattainable, be it by scarcity or extreme price points! Appreciate you checking our the video 😊
I agree with your overall assessment Wade and a great review. However, I think we need to be careful about the current whisky you tube obsession with “integrity bottlings” . This is a complex dram and I think the owners of G&M (and Benromach) are well placed to judge the best ABV to present their whisky at. A brave decision not to bow to pressure to present at 46% ABV - and maybe we should give them credit for doing so. I think it tastes gorgeous on repeated sipping although the 15 year old is even better. Love your channel.
It's thoughtful comments like this that are the reason why I love engaging with the whisky tube community. There are definitely some whiskies that are at their perfect spot at 43% and I don't think this Benromach is bad where it sits, I like it so much I would just like to try it at 46% Cheers Nick 🥃
It's a very good whisky and if it were 46% it would easily be a Springbank alternative. I love the high proof Benromachs but the 10 is a great dram for the money.
The Benromach 10 is lovely and usually a good price. Excellent for folks getting started on their Whisky journey. The cask strength releases are a great step beyond that takes quite a bit of water well so you can play with the variations avaliable at different abv's.
Even though it's 43%, it is rather bold for it's abv and a tiny drop of water per dram brought out the brighter fruit notes and even a pleasant leather belt note for me. I enjoy it especially for the price.
Judging by your recent shopping spree I think you might be the reason why people in Australia can't their hands on Springbanks 😂 The older bottles before the label change had much more of a farmyard funk to them but these ones feel more balanced. Benromach is ever evolving and if you do like the character I'd highly recommend their Contrasts series or their cask strengths. Cheers Wade another stellar review!
My understanding is Benromach has a plain 7,500 litre wash still and a 5,000 litre boil ball spirit still. Both are indirect fired and both have shell and tube condensers. Springbank is a unique combination of their plain wash still being direct fired AND indirect fired with a condenser on this still, as well as two other plain spirit stills that are indirect fired with one having a worm tub and one having a condenser! Fascinating the wide variety of combinations at each different distillery and the broad range of results they deliver! What a wonderful drink it is that we love. Cheers my friend 🥃
@@McIntyresMalts Thanks for the detailed reply. I managed to get a bottle of Springbank 10 several years ago for $90 AUD. Needless to say, I should have bought a dozen bottles. One of the best made whiskies I ever tried, with a unique mouth feel. Like there were sugar crystals that were slowly dissolving in your mouth. I suspect this was due to the direct firing of the stills, because I got a similar mouthfeel from certain Glenfarclas bottlings. Glenfarclas also direct fires their stills I believe.
@@goldencalf5144 Ah hindsight! Would have loved to stock up on many of these just so I don't have to pay so much to drink them! Yes correct, Glenfarclas also direct fire their stills with gas.
Enjoyed the video, thank you. If you compare this one to Glengoyne 12(watched your review], which one in your opinion has more interest if they had the same price, putting aside the differences of profile? Appreciate your advise.
Hey John, thank you for the question. I would have to say if the price and stats were identical they Benromach 10 would appeal to me more than the Glengoyne 12. Hope this helps!
It's funny how branding can have a different effect on each of us Vin, I thought the previous Benromach branding with the scrawled font was terrible and it put me off buying it. Maybe a 3rd iteration will be better 😂
Buenas mí Bro, necesito de tu asesoramiento mí hermano estoy x cómprame 2 botellas y estoy indeciso, estoy entre comprar el Benromach 10, el Aultomore 12, Glen Elgin 12 o Glencadaman 10, con cuáles 2 te quedarías vos? Se que es muy diferentes las opciones ya que el Benromach 10 es un whisky completamente distinto y diferente a las otras 3 opciones, abrazo grande y muchas gracias por todo 🥃🥃
Si fuera mi elección, me quedaría con el Benromach 10 y el Glencadam 10. Dos perfiles de sabor muy diferentes, pero ambos whiskies de muy buena calidad.
No. Springbank, on a good day, might be an adequate 'alternative' for Benromach. Not the other way 'round. Don't make Benromach 'ridiculously overpriced', too.
Benromach is okay. The CS bottles are nice. But they're no Springbank. I have several different types of Benromach next to several different types of Springbank on one shelf of my liquor cabinet at home. Plus, I've written over a hundred reviews and gotten millions and millions of views online. So I'm not just some brash upstart without a clue. Kilkerran is really the only "substitute." Not even Glen Scotia is bona fide. Sorry, it's just the truth. There's nothing else out there like Springbank and Kilkerran. They are their own animal. And it's WILD. As for the more tame and pedestrian Benromach, we shall see if Gordon & MacPhail will be able to make good sauce. A great deal of what they've been selling since they bought Benromach is not of their doing. It's old leftover stock. I'm guessing they will F it up once the majority of sauce is made by them, as large corporations are want to do. Large octopus-tentacled CorpseOrations are usually good at making money, but not so good at making whisky. That's because making whisky is an art form which requires the artists to stick with the basics before they riff on some variations. We are talking about things like malting one's own barley and even personally knowing farmers that you buy the barley from. Buying pre-malted/smoked barley from yet another big corporation is not the ticket to ride. It's a "grave trap" that leads to distillery oblivion . . . under the actor's stage, so to speak. Where portable androids (robots) will be the "next big thing." Springbank is keeping alive the human element. It's right as rain, and the folks there make whisky making seem like a breeze . . . a coastal breeze, that is. My biggest regret was writing reviews that said things like this from 2014-2020. Kinda shot me-self in me foot. Because it's a real bitch to get my hands on a good bottle of Springbank these days. Even the 12 CS is nigh inobtanium. IMO, more reviewers should be gently nudging J&A Mitchell & Co of Springbank Fame to up their production months of the year. There are precious few, and always have been. With more staff, the distillery could easily produce twice the whisky without sacrificing much in the way of quality. As it is now, the staff go between Springbank and Kilkerran. There's room for more to be made. Let's cross our fingers management gets the hint. Because they needn't lower their standards or their prices. There is more than enough public demand for twice as much Springbank in the world. Yes, that would equate to younger whiskies at first. But oh well. A younger springbank is better than an older Benromach, at least in many cases. And Benromach is far better than most rough and tumble whiskies on the market. It's a longshot from being the bottom of the barrel, by any stretch. It's a decent whisky and worth buying.
Thank you for the detailed response my friend, it is indeed an interesting and evolving market cycle we are going through where every man and his dog seems to want to cash in a grab a piece (evidenced by the myriad new distilleries in planning stages, approved or under construction and beginning to lay down spirit, both in Scotland and globally). Time will indeed tell where Benromach goes, and as far as being a replacement for Springbank the intent was to offer viewers a suitable alternative to the near impossible and extremely expensive to obtain Springbank (and Kilkerran, albeit better priced) here in Australia. I would be interested to check out some of your reviews, please post me a link and I will be sure to follow your work 😊
No it is not a substitute for Springbank, it never was and it never will be. Period end of story. It's just gone around as of late that "Benromach is a substitute for Springbank", so naturally, everyone got on board from power of suggestion. The only way you will prove to yourselves that Benromach is no sub for springbank, is ironically NOT by opening your eyes and realizing it, but by closing your eyes and doing a blind back to back. Only with open eyes can you fool yourselves into thinking it is a substitute, but with closed eyes will realize that Springbank is lightyears more superior than benromach. They don't even compare on any level, only on paper and in the mind.
Hey Johnathan, thank you for checking my review and taking the time to add your thoughts too! I don't disagree with you mate, each whisky is unique in it's own right, and the presentation on Springbank is superior to Benromach, yes. My intent in this video was to offer an alternative that is easier to get your hands on than a Springbank that will likely appeal to fans / drinkers of Springbank or those that are interested in a similar flavour profile. Appreciate your input my friend 🥃
Craigellachie 13 and 17 have been talked about as alternatives to Springbank for the Springbank 10 and 18 and various channels have also discussed Benromach as an alternative. I think there is some truth to considering these expressions as SB alts! They are also cheaper, a lot, although the Craigellachie 17 is pretty pricey. Interesting video. Very enjoyable! In Canada the cheapest Springbank 18 on the secondary market which I generally avoid, with some exceptions, is $600 plus taxes and mailing charges. Very pricey. Kind of insane. I wouldn’t at that! The truth is that there are fabulous single malts, so many we could never have them all, so I often consider that when thinking through buying a very sophisticated, elegant expression on the market. Cheers!!
Thanks Christine, I agree there are so many amazing malts out there that it is important to consider alternatives when certain expressions become unattainable, be it by scarcity or extreme price points!
Appreciate you checking our the video 😊
Looking forward to this one, I like the profile of a Sherry influenced Speyside but do enjoy faint smoke in the background. 🥃
It’s a good combo isn’t it!
I agree with your overall assessment Wade and a great review. However, I think we need to be careful about the current whisky you tube obsession with “integrity bottlings” . This is a complex dram and I think the owners of G&M (and Benromach) are well placed to judge the best ABV to present their whisky at. A brave decision not to bow to pressure to present at 46% ABV - and maybe we should give them credit for doing so. I think it tastes gorgeous on repeated sipping although the 15 year old is even better. Love your channel.
It's thoughtful comments like this that are the reason why I love engaging with the whisky tube community. There are definitely some whiskies that are at their perfect spot at 43% and I don't think this Benromach is bad where it sits, I like it so much I would just like to try it at 46%
Cheers Nick 🥃
It's a very good whisky and if it were 46% it would easily be a Springbank alternative. I love the high proof Benromachs but the 10 is a great dram for the money.
I have a bottle of the cask strength as well as some of the contrasts range with higher ABV's, looking forward to getting to know them better
The Benromach 10 is lovely and usually a good price. Excellent for folks getting started on their Whisky journey. The cask strength releases are a great step beyond that takes quite a bit of water well so you can play with the variations avaliable at different abv's.
Yes agreed! I look forward to diving into more of the Benromach expressions in future reviews 🙌
I agree with all of this. You might try the 15. It adds that little extra oomph. I haven’t had the cask strength, but I hear that is truly great.
I have unopened bottles of both so looking forward to trying them. Glad I started with the base line 10 first
Even though it's 43%, it is rather bold for it's abv and a tiny drop of water per dram brought out the brighter fruit notes and even a pleasant leather belt note for me. I enjoy it especially for the price.
Yeah agreed, I think it's one of those whiskies that works well where it sits at 43%. Hard to beat value on this one!
Judging by your recent shopping spree I think you might be the reason why people in Australia can't their hands on Springbanks 😂
The older bottles before the label change had much more of a farmyard funk to them but these ones feel more balanced. Benromach is ever evolving and if you do like the character I'd highly recommend their Contrasts series or their cask strengths. Cheers Wade another stellar review!
Thank you my friend! I definitely went all in this season on just about everything from Campbeltown 😂
Keeping some goodies for a rainy day 😉
In a Ralphy review, can't remember which number, he did a Ben Romach and said they have the potential to be springbank equivalent for their region.
Agreed!
Interesting channel. Will keep checking.
Thank you John, appreciate you being here 😊
Do you know if the stills are direct fired at Benromach? This is a big part of what makes Springbank so good.
My understanding is Benromach has a plain 7,500 litre wash still and a 5,000 litre boil ball spirit still. Both are indirect fired and both have shell and tube condensers.
Springbank is a unique combination of their plain wash still being direct fired AND indirect fired with a condenser on this still, as well as two other plain spirit stills that are indirect fired with one having a worm tub and one having a condenser!
Fascinating the wide variety of combinations at each different distillery and the broad range of results they deliver!
What a wonderful drink it is that we love. Cheers my friend 🥃
@@McIntyresMalts Thanks for the detailed reply. I managed to get a bottle of Springbank 10 several years ago for $90 AUD. Needless to say, I should have bought a dozen bottles. One of the best made whiskies I ever tried, with a unique mouth feel. Like there were sugar crystals that were slowly dissolving in your mouth. I suspect this was due to the direct firing of the stills, because I got a similar mouthfeel from certain Glenfarclas bottlings. Glenfarclas also direct fires their stills I believe.
@@goldencalf5144 Ah hindsight! Would have loved to stock up on many of these just so I don't have to pay so much to drink them!
Yes correct, Glenfarclas also direct fire their stills with gas.
Enjoyed the video, thank you. If you compare this one to Glengoyne 12(watched your review], which one in your opinion has more interest if they had the same price, putting aside the differences of profile? Appreciate your advise.
Hey John, thank you for the question. I would have to say if the price and stats were identical they Benromach 10 would appeal to me more than the Glengoyne 12. Hope this helps!
I've enjoyed the Benromachs I've tried. Though I don't particularly like the new branding, but hey ho
It's funny how branding can have a different effect on each of us Vin, I thought the previous Benromach branding with the scrawled font was terrible and it put me off buying it. Maybe a 3rd iteration will be better 😂
Buenas mí Bro, necesito de tu asesoramiento mí hermano estoy x cómprame 2 botellas y estoy indeciso, estoy entre comprar el Benromach 10, el Aultomore 12, Glen Elgin 12 o Glencadaman 10, con cuáles 2 te quedarías vos? Se que es muy diferentes las opciones ya que el Benromach 10 es un whisky completamente distinto y diferente a las otras 3 opciones, abrazo grande y muchas gracias por todo 🥃🥃
Si fuera mi elección, me quedaría con el Benromach 10 y el Glencadam 10. Dos perfiles de sabor muy diferentes, pero ambos whiskies de muy buena calidad.
@@McIntyresMalts muchas gracias hermano x tu tiempo y ayuda 🥃🥃 al final adquirí el Benromach 10 y el Tamdhu 12 🥃🥃
@@sebastiancassinelli4191 Buenas opciones, espero que las disfrutes!
Good review . Like . Slainte !
Thank you! Cheers 🥃
I wonder if adding 25% cask strength Benromach to the 10 to up the alcohol % would be a valuable experiment.
Oooh interesting idea! I would say yes!
No. Springbank, on a good day, might be an adequate 'alternative' for Benromach. Not the other way 'round. Don't make Benromach 'ridiculously overpriced', too.
Let's hope it stays affordable
Benromach is okay. The CS bottles are nice. But they're no Springbank. I have several different types of Benromach next to several different types of Springbank on one shelf of my liquor cabinet at home. Plus, I've written over a hundred reviews and gotten millions and millions of views online. So I'm not just some brash upstart without a clue.
Kilkerran is really the only "substitute." Not even Glen Scotia is bona fide. Sorry, it's just the truth. There's nothing else out there like Springbank and Kilkerran. They are their own animal. And it's WILD.
As for the more tame and pedestrian Benromach, we shall see if Gordon & MacPhail will be able to make good sauce. A great deal of what they've been selling since they bought Benromach is not of their doing. It's old leftover stock.
I'm guessing they will F it up once the majority of sauce is made by them, as large corporations are want to do. Large octopus-tentacled CorpseOrations are usually good at making money, but not so good at making whisky.
That's because making whisky is an art form which requires the artists to stick with the basics before they riff on some variations. We are talking about things like malting one's own barley and even personally knowing farmers that you buy the barley from. Buying pre-malted/smoked barley from yet another big corporation is not the ticket to ride. It's a "grave trap" that leads to distillery oblivion . . . under the actor's stage, so to speak. Where portable androids (robots) will be the "next big thing."
Springbank is keeping alive the human element. It's right as rain, and the folks there make whisky making seem like a breeze . . . a coastal breeze, that is. My biggest regret was writing reviews that said things like this from 2014-2020. Kinda shot me-self in me foot. Because it's a real bitch to get my hands on a good bottle of Springbank these days. Even the 12 CS is nigh inobtanium.
IMO, more reviewers should be gently nudging J&A Mitchell & Co of Springbank Fame to up their production months of the year. There are precious few, and always have been. With more staff, the distillery could easily produce twice the whisky without sacrificing much in the way of quality. As it is now, the staff go between Springbank and Kilkerran. There's room for more to be made. Let's cross our fingers management gets the hint. Because they needn't lower their standards or their prices.
There is more than enough public demand for twice as much Springbank in the world. Yes, that would equate to younger whiskies at first. But oh well. A younger springbank is better than an older Benromach, at least in many cases. And Benromach is far better than most rough and tumble whiskies on the market. It's a longshot from being the bottom of the barrel, by any stretch. It's a decent whisky and worth buying.
Thank you for the detailed response my friend, it is indeed an interesting and evolving market cycle we are going through where every man and his dog seems to want to cash in a grab a piece (evidenced by the myriad new distilleries in planning stages, approved or under construction and beginning to lay down spirit, both in Scotland and globally).
Time will indeed tell where Benromach goes, and as far as being a replacement for Springbank the intent was to offer viewers a suitable alternative to the near impossible and extremely expensive to obtain Springbank (and Kilkerran, albeit better priced) here in Australia.
I would be interested to check out some of your reviews, please post me a link and I will be sure to follow your work 😊
No, it isn't. Instead, Springbank is the Benromach of Campbeltown.
Oooowww plot twist!! I like it
No it is not a substitute for Springbank, it never was and it never will be. Period end of story. It's just gone around as of late that "Benromach is a substitute for Springbank", so naturally, everyone got on board from power of suggestion. The only way you will prove to yourselves that Benromach is no sub for springbank, is ironically NOT by opening your eyes and realizing it, but by closing your eyes and doing a blind back to back. Only with open eyes can you fool yourselves into thinking it is a substitute, but with closed eyes will realize that Springbank is lightyears more superior than benromach. They don't even compare on any level, only on paper and in the mind.
Hey Johnathan, thank you for checking my review and taking the time to add your thoughts too!
I don't disagree with you mate, each whisky is unique in it's own right, and the presentation on Springbank is superior to Benromach, yes.
My intent in this video was to offer an alternative that is easier to get your hands on than a Springbank that will likely appeal to fans / drinkers of Springbank or those that are interested in a similar flavour profile.
Appreciate your input my friend 🥃
@@McIntyresMalts cheers!
Bendromach 10 is pretty bad. Not even close to SB10
🥃