Ben Nevis 2012 Malts of Scotland 12 yo

 

 

 

56,9°

Distillery : Ben Nevis - Highlands

Sherry Hogshead

Independent Bottling 

By Malts of Scotland

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2024

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Almost Unpeated

 

 

 

This Ben Nevis matured in a Sherry Hogshead for 12 years was selected and specially bottled for the DeinWhisky.de website. The cask yielded 274 bottles. In the same batch, there is a Benriach of the same age, bottled for the same site, which has exclusive sales of both expressions. I asked for the Benriach, but the site made a mistake and sent me the Ben Nevis instead.

Let's Taste It : 

Floral sherry, lilac and bougainvillea, damp wood, fresh figs, exotic fruits, maracuja, dragon fruit, persimmon. An ounce of smoke. Beetroot. Blueberries, blackcurrants. It's silky on the palate, with drops of honey, lemon and pineapple, banana, then fierce spices, pepper and cumin. Damp wood. Quite long finish, suitably explosive, cloves and nutmeg, soft caramel, a dash of melted chocolate, a slightly bitter woody touch, black radish. Various roots, damp earth.

 

In Short, 

It's very well made, with a certain character. But I don't find the distillery's profile, which is a shame, the Sherry is a bit too overpowering. Nevertheless, it's a very pleasant experience, especially with the finish, and the price is really interesting. I'd recommend buying it, especially as there's still some left, which I find surprising.

Score : 88

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Germinate Records Band - Easy to Adore

Benriach 1985 Malts of Scotland

 

 

 

44°

Distillery : The BenRiach - Speyside

Bourbon Barrel 

Independent Bottling 

By Malts of Scotland

Limited Edition

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2021

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

The Warehouse Diamonds range from Malts of Scotland, the German bottler founded in 2005 by Thomas Ewers, brings together their finest casks, the ones everyone is always envious of. Here, a BenRiach at least 35 years old, aged in a single Bourbon cask to allow the distillate to express itself. Only 167 bottles were put on sale.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It :  

A deluge of fruit, especially tropical, banana, papaya, melon, pan-fried grapefruit, yellow fruit in which the cereals seem to have melted, intense pulp. Enchanting floral notes, geranium, bougainvillea, it's like tasting pollen. It's also quite salty, with semi-salted butter, just enough to make your mouth water. All this in sparkling balance, with pastry cream and vergeoise. On the palate, the citrus fruits become intense, tangerines, lime, blood orange, custard and vanilla beans. The spices are barely noticeable. On the finish, fruit pie, kiwi, kumquat, small tart apples and a pinch of salt.

 

In Short, 

An absolutely marvellous nose, an epiphany of exotic fruit and tropical citrus. It's also quite salty, but it all comes together beautifully. As the alcohol content is low, the finish is not up to the rest, but this is still the best BenRiach, and the best Malts of Scotland I've tasted, by a long way. The price is very high, but at this level, you don't count.

Score : 91

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

                                           Marina Viotti - In Darkness Let Me Dwell

Mannochmore 2010 Malts of Scotland c. MoS20008

 

 

 

55,6°

Distillery : Mannochmore - Speyside

Bourbon Hogshead

Independent Bottling 

By Malts of Scotland

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2020

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated 

The German trading company Malts of Scotland was created in 2005 by Thomas Ewers. They launched this Mannochmore in 2020, and it created a bit of a fuss, because Serge Valentin scored it 90, saying it reminded him some lovely Rosebanks, a legendary closed distillery. A lot of people were surprised of that verdict, and the bottling was brought to the fore, which it didn't necessarily deserved. In reaction, other influencers wanted to give it a low rating, and this gave rise to a controversy, which seems pointless today, four years later. It is time to rediscover this beautiful bottling, without worrying about all that. It is a set of 299 bottles, apparently 9 years old, but I'm not sure about that. 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Woody lemon, a touch of caramel and treacle, solvent that gives some fullness, a certain chalky minerality, and yellow fruits, plums, bananas, pineapple. Some vanilla in the background. On the palate, liquid honey, candied lemon, with cereal touches of barley, wheat and puffed rice. Light spices, mentholated notes. Vegetal hints. The finish is fairly clean, well-crafted, but with just the right amount of power, Haribo bananas, vanilla liqueur, damp bark, dill, limoncello.

 

In Short, 

I couldn't say if it looks like Rosebank, as I've never tasted it. But in any case, it's very good. Without being exceptional, the profile is original, both gourmand and with a certain complexity, bringing out some flavours rarely found elsewhere. The release price was quite right, and even today it can be bought without too many sacrifices at auction. I suggest buying it occasionally if you are a fan of the profile.

Score : 89

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listeed While Sipping :

 

                                           Amanda Palmer & The Grand Theft Orchestra - The Bed Song

Bruichladdich 2003 Malts of Scotland 14 yo

 

 

 

56,8°

Distillery : Bruichladdich - Islay 

Bourbon Barrel 

Independent Bottling 

By Malts of Scotland 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2017

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated 

 

 

 

The German trading company Malts of Scotland was created in 2005 by Thomas Ewers. This Bruichladdich comes from a batch distilled in 2003. It matured in a Bourbon Barrel for 14 years and was bottled in 248 copies.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It: 

At first, a few earthy hints. Dry earth. Then sweet almonds, olive oil, a dash of astringency, an ounce of vanilla. Shortbread biscuits with butter. Walnuts, ointment. Arnica. The vanilla gains breadth, with a certain minerality, some honey. Clouds of iodine. Candied lemon. Some cereals. On the palate, coconut milk, light spices, paprika and nutmeg, chocolate chip muffin, varnished wood. The cereals become more intense, puffed rice, muesli. Genoise, brown sugar, chilli. The finish is rather long, robust, sparkling, green tea, back on earth, a pinch of sea salt, yam. Black radish.

 

In Short, 

You really have to give it time and opportunity to blossom, it's not a monster of power or originality. What's more, the distillery's hallmarks are a little lacking. But the nose is quite complex, the palate beautiful and the finish long. It's a very pleasant product to drink. It's been sold out for a long time, so watch the price if you come across it. It's good, but it's not worth big sacrifices either.

Score : 89

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Amiina - Asinn

Ardbeg 1998 Malts of Scotland c. 15009

 

 

 

58,4°

Distillery : Ardbeg - Islay

Bourbon Barrel 

Independent Bottling 

By Malts of Scotland 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2015

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Peated around 54 ppm 

It was in 2005 that the German trading company Malts of Scotland was founded by Thomas Ewers. Since then, success has only increased. Here we have an Ardbeg distilled in 1998 and bottled about 16 years later,185 bottles became reality, in honour of Whisky & Co. and Whisky Antique, the first being a French site dedicated to our favorite beverage, the second a very famous Italian point of sale. 

 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Thick, rocky peat. Like a punch in the face. Sticky, gooey liquorice, a few white fruits, mirabelles, greengages. Nails, fuel oil and gravel. Metallic, chalky earth, fairly strong iodine, and at the same time airy, the tide is windy. The fruits return after a while, very ripe, almost candied. The palate is light, lemony, with a few spices, pepper, cumin, nutmeg, burnt plastic. The finish is pleasantly long, with charcoal, earth, sun-browned grass and cola.

 

In Short,

It's very Ardbeg, very peaty with liquorice and some white fruits. But despite the uncompromising violence of the product, I’m not very impressed, it lacks a little depth, variety. There's nothing particularly original here. And when I see the price, I think it’s inappropriate. 

Score : 89

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                          To Be Listened While Sipping :

  

                                          Social Distortion - Story of my Life