Another Ben-Nevis-thon, part 2


June 28, 2023

Another Ben-Nevis-thon,
part 2

Into the glorious 1990s vintages, although accidents may happen…

Some great whiskies maturing in the mist (2006, WF Archive)

Ben Nevis 26 yo 1997/2023 (49.7%, East Village W.C., 5th Anniversary of Whisky Maniac, sherry butt, cask #143, 490 bottles)

Fantastic label, at WF we're utter suckers for retro-futurism, as the design for this website, done around 1950, should testify. Colour: gold. Nose: you can smell amontillado from a distance of five metres. And old walnuts, soot, burnt caramel, cigarettes, curry, leather, mustard, vegetal dirt (compost), old barrels… Mouth: rich, this time starting with bitter oranges, marmalade, bits of pipe tobacco, plus seawater and aniseed, salty liquorice, old wood (chewing an old pencil), the traditional mustard… It's moving more and more towards amontillado, I believe Ben Nevis together with its colleagues from Campbeltown, is the make that can really take all this the most gracefully. Finish: long, this time spicier, with notes of salted and buttered tea, some acidic coffee, and just tobacco. A funny touch of bubblegum and strawberry sweets in the aftertaste. Ah, that molecule! Comments: classic, splendid, perhaps just not for anyone. Good, more for us.
SGP:562 – 90 points.

Ben Nevis 26 yo 1996/2022 (46.6%, Limited, bourbon hogshead, cask #1726, 120 bottles)

Bourbon this time. A time of writing we've already tried an excellent Deanston by the same new 'Limited' company. Having said that, coming up with a Ben Nevis 1996 might be a much safer bet (as long as your aim is not to convince the whole whisky world). Colour: light gold. Nose: it is pretty different from the 'sherry', that is to say rather more metallic, with notes of soot and concrete, musty old cellar, grapefruits, green melons, then wild herbs, woodruff for example, chalk, porridge, muesli… I have to say this doughier style is just as much to my liking. As long as they are faultless, these Ben Nevis are all splendid in my book. Mouth: indeed, this one's more on putty and paraffin, but just as salty. It is very chalky and lemony too, you would almost believe this is some limoncello aged for a few years in amphoras. Ideas ideas. A brilliant Ben Nevis anyway. Finish: long, citrusy, not overly spicy, clean, almost refreshing in fact, despite the fatness. More paraffin in the aftertaste, even a touch of new plastic. Comments: you could believe these kinds of sessions are great to do since the whiskies are all fantastic, but in fact they are not because they put you into 'drinking mode'.
SGP:551 - 90 points.

Ben Nevis 1996/2023 (46.8%, The Whisky Jury, refill hogshead, cask #1813, 205 bottles)

More retro-futurism! Colour: white wine with black/green hues. A patched cask? Nose: there is a feeling of 'old rust' indeed, old magazines, soot, fermenting tropical fruits, then mint cordial, yoghurt, and a little fresh paint. Please note that I'm exaggerating the 'differences' here, but indeed it is pretty different. Very curious about the palate… Mouth: it is not 'that' different on the palate, but it is a little tougher, rusty, metallic, with some bitters, ginger tonic… Then pistachios and a little varnish, orgeat, grapefruit juice… It is still not a very 'usual' Ben Nevis, but can Ben Nevis be 'usual' anyway. What's more it never stops improving. Finish: back to whackier notes, dirt and dust, old pepper and nutmeg perhaps, lemon squash, stuff by The Coca-Cola Company, and something a little metallic once more in the aftertaste. Comments: hard to assess. Perhaps a little squinty, but that is part of its charm. So, patched cask or not?
SGP:651 - 88 points.

Ben Nevis 26 yo 1996/2022 (48.6%, Maltbarn, bourbon, 158 bottles)

I'm always finding a lot of elegance in Maltbarn's bottlings. The photos are so beautiful, and original as well, that one sometimes wonders if these bottles aren't merely pretexts to showcase beautiful images. Fortunately, the overall quality usually proves otherwise. Colour: straw. Nose: I'm afraid I'll have to use the word elegance once more. Not even sure that word fully corresponds to Ben Nevis, but this is a soft, civilised, fruity BN, with even williams pears and mirabelles, quinces, and only then a little green tea, chlorophyl, and more quinces yet. We enjoy quinces almost as much as we love retro-futurism at WF Towers. Awesome softer BN. Mouth: a cleaner one, zesty, with grapefruits, greengages, only then a saltiness, seaweed, a very moderate sootiness, also tropical fruits, slightly metallic mangos (plane mangos), guavas… Finish: and there, a little paraffin and elderflower spritz. Comments: excellently upright for BN, very elegant (you said that three times already, S.)
SGP:552 - 90 points.

Why not a little OB from the same vintage?

Ben Nevis 21 yo 1996 (48.8%, OB, for UK, cask #1407, +/-2017)

Angus has already tried this one but I shan't check his note. Colour: white wine. Nose: good fun that the Distillery would have rather chosen a clean, quasi-crystalline one, which has its eyes on Islay with some oysters, granny smith, soft almondy peat and clean bright ashes. Some fresh mint too, and a so a certain kind of CaolIlaness. If I may. Mouth: and voilà, lemon, ashes, smoked tea, peat (like), paraffin, salty fino, vin jaune, amaro, roots, radish, celeriac… Strength and body are perfect. Finish: long, sharp, zesty, clean, chiselled, bladey, precise, vertical (that'll do S.) Gentian and raw liquorice in the aftertaste – kills the game for good. Comments: I told you this could become boring.
SGP:562 - 90 points.

Ben Nevis 26 yo 1996/2022 (49.5%, The Whisky Blues, hogshead, cask #874, 231 bottles)

Do Christmas-themed labels keep working in June? Discuss… Well I'm sure the whisky inside does. Colour: white wine. Ten points for the colour alone! Course I'm joking… Nose: rather on the chalky and doughy side, with even whiffs of washing powder, mud, crushed slate, clay, oyster shells, chives, lime blossom, fresh bamboo shoot… I think this is exceptional. Totally a top Sancerre or Pouilly-Fumé, I'm in awe. Mouth: not even sure we should go on. Stunning roots, earths, green lemon, ultra-tart apples, chalk, paraffin again and again, old mint and herbs cordial, some tar… Any resistance would be futile. Finish: long and ultra-bladey. As we say more often than not, this one cuts you into halves of exactly the same size. Comments: rather a cleaner BN 1996. Exceptional cask – exceptional blues – very well done.
SGP:562 - 91 points.

Ben Nevis 25 yo 1996/2022 (53.9%, Murray McDavid for Tyndrum Whisky, Mission Gold, hogshead, cask #1582, 250 bottles)

'Finish: - '. Love it when they finish a whisky in its own cask. Colour: light gold. Nose: however, there's more vanilla and coconut than in the others, it could have spent three or four years in virgin or short-1st fill American oak. Bananas, metal polish, a little patchouli, peach peel, well this one's completely different, not extremely 'BN' for sure. Unless… With water: hold on, there is some leather polish, metal polish, old bits of copper and stuff… Mouth (neat): way better on the palate, tart, lemony, metallic, very powerful, ultra-tight… Raw power BN. With water: do not add too much water. Almond, putty, oils, puréed chickpeas, right, houmous, touch of brine… Finish: rather long, rather salty and rooty. A little coconut again in the aftertaste. Comments: it struggled a little bit after the exceptional Whisky Blues. Well, I struggled for sure, but it still is a very fantastic malt whisky.
SGP:551 - 87 points.

I think it's best that we stop here and do a third BN session right tomorrow. They are stunning but they are tough guys.

(Merci KC)

Check the index of all Ben Nevis we've tasted so far