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Ben Nevis
and Ben
Nevis grain whisky
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Ben
Nevis distillery is situated in Fort William
at the foot of Scotland's highest mountain, Ben
Nevis, from which the distillery takes its name.
It
was founded in 1825 by John McDonald and taken over by Ben
Nevis Distillery Co. Ltd in 1955.
It
was re-purchased by Long John Distillers in 1981 but sadly
they closed it in 1986.
Japanese distillery Nikka
bought it in 1989 and reopened the distillery in 1991, since
which it has remained operational. |
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Ben
Nevis (single malts) |
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General whisky characteristics: Aromatic and fruity, but
also full-bodied |
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Ben Nevis,
25y,
Dec. 1984 - Jan. 2010, 56% ABV
Single Cask No.
98/35/1
Original cost of
this bottle; |
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Glass; Classic Malt
Colour; Walnut
Nose:
That little nose burn tells me lots of alcohol (it is 56% abv).
After some minutes my nose has acclimitised and the first
delight is nicely waxed antique oak, followed by leather then
prunes and plums sitting in a gentle orange marinade.
Palate: Smooth and
warming as the marinated fruit gently spreads across the palate
leaving the leather and wood lingering in the aftertaste.
With 3 drops of water; The wood gives way to the fruit on
the nose whilst the palate comes alive with a spicy, waxy
mixture of wood, leather and those orange-marinated fruits.
Finish; very long, smooth and deep.
Overall impression: A
truly delightful whisky with a great depth of flavour befitting
its 25y wait. |
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Ben Nevis,
41y,
April 1967 - Jan. 2009, 49.4% ABV
Exclusive edition
for Alambic Classique,
Sherry Hogshead 1281
Original cost of
this bottle;
Dram-atics live review |
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Glass; Classic Malt
Colour;
Very dark, mahogany
Nose:
Well roasted chestnuts marinated in aged
amaretto. Something a little vegetal and rather pleasant
develops.
Palate: Dry with massive
herbs, but the nuts of the nose never quite appear on the palate.
This is very herbal.
Finish; Long and dry with something really quite 'aged'.
Overall impression: A
good whisky, perhaps very good, but very herbal and in many ways
akin to an aged rum. Is it perhaps over-aged? |
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Ben Nevis,
40y,
Single Blend, 40% ABV
Distilled 1962,
bottled 2002
"Blended at Birth"
Original
cost of this bottle; Unknown |
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Glass; Classic Malt
Colour;
Pale yellow
Nose:
Initial suggestion of grasses & hay developing into a musty,
bitter fruity smokiness. Also a suggestion of meatiness, perhaps
roast pork?
Palate: Dry
with a slightly watery mouth-feel. It's all quite mild, even
slightly perfumed or floral but not as characterful as the nose.
Finish; Short to medium.
Overall impression:
Excellent nose but subdued palate. |
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Murray McDavid Ben
Nevis, 6y, 46% ABV
Bourbon and Port
casks
Original cost of
this bottle; |
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Colour: Pale yellow and
it even looks a little oily
Nose: Strange, slightly
insipid. I said it looked slightly oily, the nose now has an
oily wine tinge in the background.
Palate: Not at all oily,
quite smooth with a weak fruity wine flavour which diminishes
pretty quickly. The tingle stays far longer than the primary
flavours.
Overall impression: For
some unknown (to me) reason, maybe due to its youth at 6 years
old, I expected quite a lot from this whisky but I am initially
quite disappointed. I expected more ....... oooomph more flavour,
and perhaps more wine influence. But no, I get a weak wine
flavour which rapidly runs away to hide, as if this is a rather
shy dram, wanting to hide its true potential. Strangely, after
three or four tastes, the wine flavour is building a little on
my palate, even becoming quite sweet. But this one you have to
entice out. You have to persevere to get any of that hidden
potential. Is it worth that effort and time ...... only YOU can
decide that when you try it. |
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Wemyss,
Ben
Nevis sherry cask, 1990, 46%
Labelled as 'Chocolate
plums'
Original cost of
this bottle; |
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Glass: Spiegelau
Colour:
Slight copper / bronze
Nose: A definite sherry
cask from the nose; the plums are indeed climbing the sides of
the glass into the nostrils, but so is a combination of malt,
old oak and a little marzipan (but just a touch).
Palate: This glides
smoothly over the palate, warming with a slight sensation of
dark chocolate, but for me there is also a hint of raspberry
just as the aftertaste kicks in. This soon fades, but returns to
linger quite long on the palate.
Just 2 drops of water:
The nose is weakened slightly as the plums are not so rich now.
The dark chocolate still dominates on the palate, but with added
tingle so I wonder if this could even be chili-chocolate.
Overall Impression: I do
like this whisky, it has a good feel on the palate as well as
being what I would call solid and interesting. |
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Cooper's Choice,
Ben Nevis, 12y,
1996, 46%
Sherry
Cask
Original cost of
this bottle; |
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Glass:
Classic Malt
Colour:
Rich oak
Nose: Pungent with baby
vomit, oak and even a hint of weak red wine. It improves after
some minutes in the glass as more wood appears and the baby
vomit seems to have been cleaned up with antiseptic cream.
Eventually hints of sandalwood develop.
Palate: Altogether light
and faint with sandalwood and something reminding me of red
cherries and apple, but not quite.
Finish:
Medium to long
Overall Impression:
Indistinctive and eminently forgettable, unless you count baby
vomit being cleaned up by antiseptic cream(?)
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Whisky Fδssle,
Ben Nevis,
1997-2008,
56.2%
Bourbon
Cask
Original cost of
this bottle; |
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Glass:
Classic Malt
Colour:
Extremely pale
Nose: Very lightly
perfumed hay or grasses with a suggestion of oak, but all very
light and fading quickly.
Palate: Very smooth and
creamy mouth-feel with a light fruitiness and vanilla, maybe
even a suggestion of popcorn.
Finish:
Long
Overall Impression:
Interesting, quite aromatic and light but fading quickly.
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James McArthur,
Ben Nevis, single grain,
27y,
54%
Bottled
Feb. 1991 for Mini Bottle Club (UK),
Part of
a set of 6 bottles, 180 sets bottled.
Original cost of
this bottle;
This is a mini bought in 2021 for 26. |
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Glass:
Classic Malt
Colour:
Dark golden, brass-like
Nose: Initially very
rich and nose-burning with the aroma of musty butterscotch and
milky toffee. I get the sense this needs time and probably water
too, but more of that when I come to the palate. With more time
in the glass I get more suggestion of toffee as the butterscotch
fades a little. In fact I'm now thinking toffee apple as it
turns to exhibit a mildly toasted character.
Palate: Yes, lots of
butterscotch & toffee character but at the same time it has a
peppery mouth-burn suggesting I should add water. This is big,
mouth-coating and very mouth-filling.
7
Drops of water: I have about 3cl in the glass now so 7 drops
are quite a lot to add but they do indeed calm the whisky
somewhat. The nose has much less burn and although the hints of
butterscotch & toffee are still present the 'toasted' effect is
increased. The palate now has considerably less peppery burn and
much more depth of character.
5
More drops of water: Both the nose and palate are now
totally subdued and much more gentle with no burn at all. Was
this a step too far?
Finish:
Originally medium length but surprisingly
longer, much longer with the addition of water.
Overall Impression:
This whisky needs lots of time, patience and water and will
reward well if granted them. It may not be the most complex
whisky but it is a truly delightful one, even more so with the
addition of water.
I've
been looking for a Ben Nevis single grain for years, ever since
I discovered they used to produce it but until recently I never
managed to source one and oh my, am I now glad I did succeed.
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