Benromach Château Cissac

Benromach Château Cissac is matured in first fill ex-bourbon casks and then finished for 20 months in hand selected ex-wine casks from Château Cissac, which is a winery in the Haut-Médoc appellation of the Bordeaux wine region of France. 

Interestingly, Benromach did not know whether finishing its whisky in ex-wine casks from Château Cissac would result in a worthwhile final product. So, Benromach sourced casks from different wineries from around the world, filled those casks with their whisky, and waited to see what would happen. They liked the aromas and flavours that resulted when finishing their whisky in the Château Cissac casks. 

Stuart Urquhart, Whisky Supply Manager at Gordon & MacPhail, explains: 

“Gordon and MacPhail, the owner of Benromach Distillery, has a long history working with some of the world’s finest wineries.   This gives us the opportunity to trial different cask types due to our special relationships with suppliers. 

The trial was deemed successful due to the complementary flavours imparted from the Chateau Cissac casks.

The ‘subtle wisp of peat smoke’ from the Benromach malt provides a ‘back drop for the rich summer berry flavours of the Chateau Cissac’, Urquhart says. 

Malt Mileage Tasting Notes – Benromach Château Cissac

Malt Mileage Rating: ★★★★

Type: Single malt

Origin: Speyside, Scotland 

ABV: 45%

Nose: Sliced apple (sweet Fuji apple), soft peat, vanilla, honey,  papaya, grassy, fruit infused tea leaves. 

Palate: Fiery peppery entry, with soft peat smoke, apple, cherry ripe, layers of chocolate, toasted coconut and honey. There is creamy vanilla throughout, with sweet lychee and papaya. 

Finish: Herbal and minty, with nuances of wood, orange peel and hints of spice (especially cinnamon). The smoke slowly fades, but the taste of the sweet lychee and papaya lingers.