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| Hello, that is one in every of our (nearly) day by day tastings. Santé! |
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March 25, 2025
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A flight of Ben Nevis in a number of phases,
half trois
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| Ben Nevis circa 1900 (in Tim Smith’s ‘Not Your Common Joe’) |
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We’re transferring on to the legendary 1996 and 1997 vintages, all whereas questioning: are they legendary as a result of they’re plentiful, or are they plentiful as a result of they’re legendary? Solutions on a postcard, please! In any case, we’ll begin with the 1997s… Value noting, these vintages additionally marked the true official launch of Ben Nevis, with the discharge of their well-known 10-year-old on the time.
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Ben Nevis 27 yo 1997/2024 (46.5%, The Whisky Jury, sherry matured, cask #62, 187 bottles) 
It’s value noting that this well-aged BN was completely matured on the distillery. As for the Jury in query, its fame is already effectively established—however immediately, the jury is us (cue atrociously sardonic laughter). Color: amber. Nostril: this generally occurs with energetic sherry casks—an avalanche of varnish and numerous solvents at first, then damp earth (potting soil), prunes, and chocolate, with walnuts much more current right here than in different BNs we’ve been tasting recently. Then come beeswax and artisanal mead, to not point out a superb kilo of very damp, very black pipe tobacco. After two minutes, maquis honey coats the entire. Mouth: that little contact of solvent reappears however shortly offers option to bitter chocolate and well-aged pu-ehr tea. Then comes a formidable salinity, complemented by a robust presence of walnut liqueur. Great bitterness—it actually looks like an previous Palo Cortado. End: lengthy and magnificently bitter, with the arrival of that well-known mustard word we all the time love in Ben Nevis. Bitter oranges and equally bitter chocolate within the aftertaste. Feedback: a beautiful, bone-dry sherry over this undeniably world-class distillate.
SGP:462 – 90 factors. |
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Ben Nevis 28 yo 1997/2025 ‘Ross’ (50.4%, Macbeth, Elixir Distillers, refill hogshead, 850 bottles)
That is about lengthy fermentation—maybe a mash began earlier than the weekend, since, as in different distilleries, fermentations are inclined to last more over weekends… as a result of the brewers are off. Typically, you don’t have to look too far for explanations, do you? Color: pale gold. Nostril: very uncommon, closely marked by Earl Gray tea and dried mint leaves. It then develops into an array of natural teas and infusions—hawthorn, wild rose… I’m positive this Ben Nevis is great for our well being, particularly since I’m fairly in favour of different medication. Proper. With water: like sipping a mauresque by the ocean—pastis and orgeat syrup. Mouth (neat): a great deal of spices from the cask, with a really completely different type—hints of fig leaves, toffee, heaps of bergamot, orgeat, marzipan with kirsch, and even straight-up kirsch, very almond-forward. With water: the salinity ramps up, nearly like kippers cooked with almonds, then some beef jerky within the aftertaste. End: lengthy, reasonably briny, very singular. Feedback: this may be tough to determine blind! However wonderful all the identical.
SGP:461 – 90 factors. |
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Ben Nevis 26 yo 1997/2023 (52.2%, Fortunate Selection for The Auld Alliance & Advert Astra Bar Shanghai, PX sherry hogshead, cask #2316301, 259 bottles)
Color: darkish amber. Nostril: begins off like an previous bottle of bourbon, one thing alongside the strains of Very Previous Fitzgerald, with that bitter almond and polish word returning, then loads of mint, mustard sauce, ristretto espresso, and nocino. With water: completely no change, which is simply effective. Mouth (neat): varnish, chocolate, espresso, cedarwood, mocha, and salted butter caramel. Very compact, very assertive. For now, this looks like a really dry PX, with no avalanche of raisins in sight. With water: way more Ben-Nevisness now, sauce à la diable, walnut wine, bitter espresso, bitter almonds… As they are saying right here, it’s as dry as a whip crack. PX, you say? End: lengthy, magnificently austere, nearly theological. Feedback: feels a bit like a kind of historical natural liqueurs that Europe used to make as if there have been no tomorrow—however right here, with barely a gram of sugar. Good.
SGP:472 – 91 factors. |
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Ben Nevis 25 yo 1997/2022 ‘I See the Day of My Return’ (53.8%, WhiskyFacile, hogshead, cask #29, 122 bottles)
It appears the identify of this launch was urged by a sure Donald J. T. from Florida just a few years in the past. Color: darkish amber. Nostril: this shall be fast—it’s a focus of walnuts, recent concrete, soot, very dry Corinth raisins, and an previous copper pan. Or Uncle Trump’s pennies. A slight gamey word as effectively. With water: an previous amontillado from the again of the cabinet. That mentioned, if our Italian mates say it’s reasonably dry marsala, we’ll gladly bow. Mouth (neat): highly effective, on pine resin sweets, pink and black pepper, rosemary, then lemon and orange marmalades. One can solely bow certainly. Within the background, fairly a little bit of tobacco, although it stays restrained—good, that’ll save us from being condemned by anti-tobacco leagues. To not point out we’re already anticipating grief from the anti-alcohol associations… With water: however how good is that this, with these rubbery touches sneaking in. Grilled aubergines. End: lengthy, good, balanced, ever so barely soiled—so very Ben Nevis. Feedback: a lovely beast.
SGP:462 – 90 factors. |
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A couple of 1996s now, earlier than tasting many extra subsequent time.
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Ben Nevis 21 yo 1996/2018 (48.8%, OB, personal bottling, cask #1407)
Our pal Angus tasted this child 5 years in the past and, unsurprisingly, favored it rather a lot (WF 90). Color: pale white wine. Nostril: you wager! The return of an ultra-clean, oily, and mineral Ben Nevis, with paraffin, chalk, engine oil, menthol essence, and camphor, then essentially the most stunning bread dough, even with just a few anise seeds. A perfectly chiselled nostril. Mouth: fruitier on the palate however nonetheless with chic salty bitters, lemon zest, artichokes, and a fatty but very vegetal aspect. A slight contact of smoked salmon, splendidly oily, making us assume this BN would pair fantastically with high-quality sushi. It even feels considerably Japanese – was it shipped again by Nikka? End: lengthy, with the arrival of pine needles, these well-known previous natural liqueurs, and a salty, lemony aftertaste. Feedback: faint echoes of a sotol we tasted a very long time in the past. A very nice Ben Nevis.
SGP:462 – 91 factors. |
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The issue with these vintages is managing to price them under 90 factors—whereas staying sincere.
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Ben Nevis 27 yo 1996/2023 ‘When Days Are Chilly II’ (49.4%, Animal Spirits, third Anniversary, hogshead, cask #764, 226 bottles)
Pretty label. It’s true that when it’s chilly, good spirits can (very briefly) heat you up. Round right here, all skiers carry a flask, for example—although it additionally works as a de-icer generally. However I digress… Color: gold. Nostril: speedy classic impact—these Ben Nevis behave like nice white wines. Elegant citrus and vegetal oils (grape seed, olive). I now have the honour of asking you to kindly name the anti-maltoporn brigade, thanks. Unbelievable precision, simplicity, and purity. Mouth: sheer magnificence—fir buds, grapefruit, oolong tea, plasticine, treasured peppers, zests, and mind-blowing bitters… We’ll cease right here; this might go too far. End: touches of glue, bitter almonds, horseradish, tar, salty liquorice, however the yellow citrus retains every little thing in test and holds this entire little world collectively within the aftertaste. And such beautiful bitters—wow. Feedback: I don’t see what extra I might add, besides that we’re drifting even farther from the objective. Let me remind you: drop under 90 factors.
SGP:462 – 92 factors. |
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Ben Nevis 25 yo 1996/2021 (49.8%, OB for Alambic Classique, Calvados Cask, cask #856, 244 bottles) 
We tasted a improbable official BN 1996 for Alambic final yr (cask #01, WF 92), however that one had by no means seen Calvados in its life. Calvados, now that may very well be an actual Achilles’ heel… Color: mild gold. Nostril: precisely as anticipated—this rounding impact, nearly softening the unbelievable malt that’s Ben Nevis. So, there are two faculties of thought. The primary will say that these notes of apple or pear tart, cider, brown sugar, and honey are welcome, including further softness to Ben Nevis. The opposite will argue that the distillery’s inherent profile has been half-erased right here. Mouth: similar impressions. It’s completely wonderful, nevertheless it’s not fairly Ben Nevis. Honey, stewed apples, black pepper, hay syrup, pepper liqueur, hints of soil and mushrooms… End: lengthy and honeyed, then extra natural, with grape pips, pepper, mustard, and orange zest… Feedback: we reached our goal, however simply barely. Let’s be sincere—it’s nonetheless a powerful bottle, effectively value 89.99 factors, as they’d say at Walmart.
SGP:562 – 89 factors. |
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