A severe case of Bennevissitis


March 20, 2026

A severe case of Bennevissitis

Bennevissitis is a terrible affliction that has struck us at WF, manifesting as an unfortunate tendency to sample large quantities of Ben Nevis, and to derive a great deal of pleasure from it… Nearly forty different versions since January, just imagine! But we’ll only have two 1996s this Friday.

Ben Nevis 28 yo 1996/2025 (43.5%, The Whisky Agency, Wave Farewell to 2025, sherry butt, 307 bottles)

Always this very lovely Art Nouveau theme! Colour: pale amber. Nose: but how could we possibly resist when there is properly ripe mango, roasted chestnuts, little touches of engine oil, a hint of mustard and tobacco, then a camphory touch and a few drops of sherry? Not forgetting orange zest, chocolate, dry-cured ham… Mouth: more mineral on the palate, more on modelling clay and even proper clay, pepper, peach iced tea (you either like it, or you do not), chicory, buckwheat infusion (that is really rather good), leather… And indeed there is that little dirty side we so adore in BN. A few drops of ginger ale as well, and that typical nutty note of dry sherry. Finish: fairly long, more on leather, chocolate and tobacco. Aftertaste of slightly dirty stone, typical, and rather adorable. Comments: ultra-classic and yes, absolutely adorable. Always an immense joy to taste these vintages…
SGP:552 - 91 points.

Ben Nevis 29 yo 1996/2026 (48.1%, Scout Drinks, hogshead, cask #1558, 164 bottles)

Colour: full gold. Nose: it is splendid to taste this version with little or no sherry, the fruitiness is more intense, the whole rather fresher, with fresh paint and pine syrup, verbena, woodruff, almond milk and above all immense notes of bergamot liqueur, we warmly recommend that made by Nussbaumer in Steige in Alsace. They also make a good one in Italy, though the packaging is rather over the top (Italicus). It makes for very fine spritzes. While we are at it, we shall try the Ben-Nevis-by-Scout spritz this very evening. Mouth: absolutely packed with citrus! We shall not list them all, rest assured. Then chalk, a touch of tar, pepper and salt, very dry Chablis… Here, we would recommend a Côte de Léchet from a fresh vintage. Finish: long, always fresh, taut, with a very slight natural rubber. Comments: the whole sends little shivers down the spine, a pleasant sensation in this context. A marvellous ‘fresh’ Ben Nevis 1996.
SGP:652 - 91 points.

I’d wager we’ll have more Ben Nevis very soon, it’s one of the symptoms of Bennevissitis.

Check the index of all Ben Nevis we've tasted