Some bottlers are simply as keen on Ben Nevis as me. So we will’t cease attempting the whole lot we will lay our palms on. Right now we’re a few latest Ben Nevis 1996, 1998 and 2007 releases from The Style of Whisky.
We begin with the 1996. It’s humorous (and barely worrying on the similar time) that you could these days come upon the public sale value of a cask proper earlier than bottling. Such info was by no means out there to the general public prior to now and it in all probability doesn’t assist preserving whisky reasonably priced.
Ben Nevis 27 yo 1996 (54,8%, The Style of Whisky 2024, bourbon hogshead #1687, 198 btl.)
Nostril: stunning. Traditional sunflower oil combined with peaches and bitter apples, mangoes and lightweight maracuja within the background. Then linden honey and beeswax. Some buttery dough, hints of dried meadow flowers and lightweight plaster. Considered one of these barely Irish examples, promising tropical fruits on the palate.
Mouth: that beautiful oily and tropically fruity profile! Olive oil, with loads of verbena and spearmint. Then it bursts open into tangerines, mango, papaya and keenness fruit. Delicate syrupy notes. Additionally waxy notes, hints of floral honey and lightweight oak spice. Delicate chalky dryness and echoes of fruit tea in direction of the tip.
End: fairly lengthy, with lemon and lime, a delicate salty edge, honey and peppermint.
TTOW already had an awesome Ben Nevis 1996 #1439 earlier than, and I consider this one is even higher. Fairly sensible in my view, providing the Bushmills-style fruits that we’re at all times hoping for in these casks, together with balanced austerity. Up there with a few of the finest ones like #1372 or #1595. In reality that is the type of whisky that involves thoughts after I consider future legends.
Ben Nevis 24 yo 1998 (51,2%, The Style of Whisky ’tenth Anniversary’ 2023, first fill sherry hogshead #1357, 175 btl.)
Nostril: heavy sherry, with plenty of intense tobacco, spent espresso and heady varnish, even a whiff of acetone. Barely musty parts as nicely, like moist earth, marmite and cellar. I wouldn’t name it soiled although, there’s sufficient raisin sweetness, chocolate coated blueberries and walnuts to maintain it heading in the right direction. The fashion of sherry jogs my memory of the Seventies.
Mouth: closely toasted European oak? Loads of tobacco, black pepper, walnuts and chocolate, together with a touch of Coca-Cola and natural hints. Nonetheless this risky edge. Then leather-based and sandalwood, in addition to black cherries and cassis liqueur. Only a gentle astringency ultimately.
End: fairly lengthy, on darkish chocolate and wooden spice with hints of bitter nuts and cigar ashes.
I’m not at all times a fan of sherry casks for Ben Nevis. It highlights the soiled aspect of the spirit and it tends to cover that distinctive fruitiness. All private expectations apart although, there’s little question this can be a nice sherry bomb. Rating: 91/100
The subsequent classic is 2007. There are nearly no bottlings from this yr on Whiskybase: this TTOW launch and three others, together with the Le Gus’t bottling.
Ben Nevis 16 yo 2007 (51,3%, The Style of Whisky 2024, bourbon barrel #700087, 204 btl.)
Nostril: there’s a giant creamy aspect, with vanilla custard and cake, in addition to mashed bananas and apple compote. Grapefruit and delicate oak. Then hints of candy ginger, uncooked wool, powdery chalk and lightweight beeswax. Just a little hay and a whiff of geranium too.
Mouth: good mixture of creamy fruits (peach, orange and lime, pear, inexperienced plum) with sharper mineral notes, walnut and grapefruit zest. A lightweight fizzy bitterness of tonic water. Nonetheless floral honey beneath.
End: fairly lengthy, with extra citrus zest, bitter orange and pure mineral notes.
A basic mixture of mineral austerity and creamy fruits, precisely what we’re searching for. It is a promising classic as nicely. Nonetheless out there from The Style of Whisky. Rating: 88/100
