by 
Benromach Organic Single Malt. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 43.0%. Tasted at home, purchased as part of a 3 x 200mL pack of Benromach malts, $100.
Colour: Golden honey.
Nose: Again a slight prickle much like the Benromach 10 year old. Some oak comes through, nothing much else to report really.
Palate: Sweet vanilla notes primarily, a bit of pepper.
Finish: Medium length, sweet oaky notes linger.
Comment: Urgh, another distillery trying to play the “organic” card. Look, if you want to be seen to be environmentally conscious, try hugging a tree or dating a vegan. It’s a perfectly acceptable single malt, but like the Bruichladdich Organic Single Malt it would appear from the outside that Benromach are taking the “organic” angle to appeal to a wider audience or maybe trying it as a point of difference from other distilleries. Either way, the fact that this whisky is organic does not add anything to the drinking experience. It’s a good whisky, don’t get me wrong, but who really cares if it’s organic?
I always find the “organic” label a bit of a weird one when it comes to alcohol. It sort of becomes a form of green washing and for mind is a bit unnecessary: the casks are typcially wood and are recycled year in year out and by necessity need to be free of impurities and “bad things”. The base ingredients are pretty straightforward and lets face it, the distilling processes is just a lot of heating and cooling. Sure, I’m over simplifying, but it’s not like making good whisky is an over processed task with all kinds of chemical additives. Adding an “organic” label is just a marketing ploy and the target audience it appeals to don’t drink whisky.
Couldn’t agree with you more mate, especially your last point about the target audience the “organic” label appeals to. Flipping it around, I don’t know a single whisky drinker who would choose one malt over another just because it is organic.