Ben Nevis is a Scottish distillery in the Highlands founded by John McDonalds in 1825. John was so tall that the Ben Nevis blend was renamed Long John. The family kept the property for many years until 1941, when World War II forced McDonalds to sell to Joseph Hobbs, a Canadian entrepreneur. After a period of closure at the turn of 1980, Nikka acquired the production site and continues to manage it today. Today’s whisky comes from a single barrel, number 1712-210, selected by Claxton’s, an English company founded in 2015.
- ABV: 54,8%
- Cask: Hogshead
- Age: 17 years
- No. of Bottles: 270 bottles
- Price: €100 – €250
- Availability: low
TASTING NOTES BEN NEVIS 1999/2017 CLAXTON’S
Naso
immediate sweetness supported by a moderate alcoholic intensity. Bitter banana, yellow apple, with hints of baked pear. Candied fruit and orange peel. Dried flowers, chamomile and white pepper.
Palato
adherent to the nose. Yellow fruit, like pear and banana, followed by different spices. The sweetness becomes more sugary, white chocolate and cocoa beans. Dried fruit and custard. The bourbon barrel seems to have done a good job.
Finale
persistence above medium, good intensity. White pepper and spices, balsamic hints of eucalyptus, yellow fruit.
The distillery is certainly not known for fireworks, but for an enviable solidity. Here too we find a gentle spirit, with many different facets, that needs to be analyzed in depth, endowed with a truly remarkable finish.
Rating: 88