#contrasts

Benromach Contrasts: Côte-Rôtie Cask

Benromach 's innovative Contrasts series has a new member: a 12 Year Old single malt matured in first-fill bourbon casks before 26 months finishing in Côte-Rôtie wine casks . Wine casks are always popular, says the distillery team, but they're generally not our favourites.Côte-Rôtie brings us to the terraces of the Northern Rhône, just south of Lyon, where Syrah grapes are common, sometimes co-planted and co-fermented with a little white Viognier.  Benromach Contrasts: Wine Finish 12 yo 2014 (46%, OB 2026, Côte-Rôtie Cask finish) Nose: not bad really. Lots of red berry aromas, some strawberry jam, blackberries and pomegrenate. Light peat sits underneath, along with black peppercorns and some sour herbal notes, hibiscus and orange peels. Then also rounder vanilla, a little caramel and cocoa. There's a very light sangria-character to it, but not at all unpleasant. Mouth: at first the peat stands out more, but the wine is louder as well. Dark forest fruits again, with damsons and blo