Wemyss Bench With A Sea View Scotch Review

By Richard Thomas

Rating: B

One of the quirky things about Wemyss Malts is the titles endowed on the whiskies in their Single Cask line. Rather than simply say “Wemyss Aberlour 17 Year Old Sherry Cask” or something along those lines, they dub each release with a unique title. That commitment surely must strain the creativity of the folks at Wemyss Malts, and its become a fun little game for me to judge how close to the mark a given Wemyss Single Cask is.

So how about one named “Bench With A Sea View?” Living on the coast as I do, I took my sample and a glass out to a bench with a sea view to find out.

The Scotch
Bench With A Sea View is a Clynelish single malt distilled in 1997. As the hogshead’s contents were bottled as part of the Winter 2014 Single Cask batch, that makes the whisky 17 years old. The bottling yielded 371 issues at the customary 46% abv.

In the glass, the whisky has a full-bodied gold coloring. The nose had a darkly fruity and spiced character, akin to a pot of stewed plums, plus a strong note of crisp, fresh laundry hanging on the line on a breezy day. I suppose that last part is a bench with a sea view sort of smell, absent the salt.

The Scotch has a silky texture on the palate, with a flavor that is spicy in both the sweetly and the prickly ways. Along with that is a current of dry, toasty wood. The finish is sweet, light, and moderately warm. Overall, this is a straightforward, pleasant sipper.

The Price
Bottles of Bench With A Sea View are currently going for £66 ($100).