Ben Nevis 15yo 1992-2007 56.6% Signatory Vintage
Ben Nevis is a malt that unfortunately for me seems to have a word by mouth of stupendous old sherried bottlings, but the recent batches seems to not work out, or maybe it's just people beeing to spoiled by older(better) times? Smells of cocoa, toffee, smooth. The taste is at first very sweet, honey, mango, peaches, oily, mushy peas and vegetabel stock. The aftertaste is very spirity. Water needed. With water it's the same stuff, nice fruity notes at start, then spirity, sulphur notes at the end.
A shame, it started so well: 5
Ben Nevis 12yo 1996-2008 46% The Warehouse Collection
A 2cl bottle of Ben Nevis from a 1st fill sherry cask of only 576 bottles. I actually have no idea how I got this one, but anyway, here goes. It smells very fresh, and smoky, smoky mountain air? It tastes like a bad grain whisky, nothing going on at all. The aftertaste is just woody, and bland. I'm not going to say it out loud, but if you read a bit between the lines, and I've heard of the Warehouse Collection either, and the bottle most certainly aren't from the british Isles. Well, well...
Useless: 2
Maybe a bit off topic, but still... http://www.trademarkia.com/the-warehouse-collection-76408807.html
Ben Nevis 14yo 1996-2010 57.1% Malts of Scotland cask 1466
I'm travelling further down the sherry road with a relatively young sherried Ben Nevis Cask Strength. The alcohol level completely dominates the smell of this one. And the taste is überspirity. Let's add water. With water it gets a bit less spirity, but it's still very off. No real flavours that's recognizeable, eveything is hidden behind dryness and spirity notes. When given some time an initial sweetness shows tastewise, but it's not enough to save this one.
Ben Nevis needs much time, mostly in the cask: 4
Ben Nevis 10yo 46% OB
The first OB of Ben Nevis for me. I do enjoy the older CS IB's, so how does a youngster come across? A very anonymous nose, some hints of sulphur, sherry? The first taste confirms my suspicions, here there are some sherry-notes involved. But I can hardly find any sweetness, smokiness or anything else, maybe just some hay and leather. Water doesn't improve much, but it becomes a bit more cuddly, a whisky to enjoy responsibly while watching a curling match or some snooker. This is not a loud, aggressive or punchy whisky in any sort of way.
One for a lazy day: 4.5
Ben Nevis 27yo 1963-1990 54% James MacArthur
This one is a cask strength of 54%, at 27 yo that's usually proof of a good cask. It's coppercoloured, with a firm taste of garlic, salt and sun dried tomatoes, very rustic, sherry cask?It has many a good flavour in store, mild pepper, roasted pine nuts, pistachios and dried ham of pork. This is truly one to save for a special occation.
Will outshine just about anything: 9.5
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