55°
Distillery : Ben Nevis - Highlands
1st Fill American Oak Bourbon Barrel and Refill Sherry Hogshead Finish
Original Bottling
Limited Edition
Single Cask
Bottled in 2013
Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength
Almost Unpeated
When the distillery was acquired by the Nikka Group in 1989, they explored the warehouses and came across a whole batch of casks distilled in 1984, the contents of which they decided to transfer into Sherry Puncheons, which they considered to be of a higher quality. However, there was a limited supply of sherry puncheons, and eventually they transferred the last cask, this one, to a refill sherry hogshead in October 1998. As a result, this whisky spent 13 years and ten months in a bourbon barrel, and just 15 years in a refill sherry hogshead. The finishing period was longer than the initial maturation. The Sherry cask number is 98/35/14, which initially led me to believe it was three casks rather than just one. But it is indeed a Single Cask, it’s just that the cask number is a bit odd. This cask was subsequently selected by La Maison du Whisky to be divided into 247 bottles and reserved primarily for the French market.
Let's Taste It :
A walk in the forest: thick bark, acorns, ferns, dark, damp earth. Chocolate fondant, sticky caramel, dates and dried bananas. Enchanting woody notes, with hints of lacquer and varnish, acacia honey, peach stones and walnuts. On the palate, it’s more restrained, the oak has been glazed, the fruit is stewed and cooked, vanilla pudding. The spices are subtle yet intense. A fairly long finish, where the oak comes to the fore, resin cream, pine cones, chickpeas, light herbaceous notes. Raisins, a few sweet and syrupy notes. Bread fresh from the oven.
In Short,
The nose is quite wonderful, with a distinct character, it’s a recognisable Ben Nevis, but it has something extra, I can’t quite put my finger on it, a waxy quality, notes of red fruit jam. The palate and finish are less distinctive, but very pleasant. So this is a top-quality Ben Nevis, yet another one, which you can still find on the La Maison du Whisky website, though at a completely ridiculous price.
Score : 90
To Be Listened While Sipping :
Elanor Moss - Fixer
