Three bottlings of Ben Nevis 2012 at this time. The primary one is bottled by the Thompson Brothers and influenced by a Koval rye cask (100 liter) and a Cromarty Double Rocker (Imperial Rye beer) cask. Subsequent up is a unadorned model from Roger’s Whisky Firm and the final one comes from Swell de Spirits and was matured in an Oloroso cask.
Ben Nevis 9 yo 2012 (50%, Thompson Bros 2021, ex-Koval Rye / Cromarty Double Rocker end, 166 btl.)
Nostril: traditional complete grain bread, brioche, porridge and faintly milky notes. Caramel candies. Some bitter notes (oranges, preserved lemons), faint hints of aromatic tub salts and candied ginger. Peppery spice and moist sheep’s wool too. Ben Nevis alright, with a pure beerness.
Mouth: that peculiar aromatic aspect remains to be there (I’m guessing this should be the beer?), in addition to a bitter edge. Mashed inexperienced fruits, pickled walnuts, porridge, citrus peels, plain barley and loads of natural and mineral notes.
End: medium, inexperienced, zesty, lemony and oily.
This one is kind of austere, with a peculiar aromatic aspect that appears a bit misplaced to me. I’m undecided the beer cask had a extremely helpful impact, however we have now to applaud the experiment. Bought out, I imagine.
Ben Nevis 8 yo 2012 (54%, Roger’s Whisky Firm 2021, cask #2086)
Nostril: extra bare. The traditional bready and yoghurty notes are nonetheless there, as are the wool and the candied ginger. Some added chalk and inexperienced leafy notes. A touch of powder sugar however missing the caramel aspect and the aromatic notes of the Thompson launch.
Mouth: clear, candy and barely spirity. Filled with barley and grist, lemons, inexperienced banana and lamp oil. A contact of aspirin. Very centered and near the uncooked supplies. Hints of nutmeg ultimately.
End: medium, with extra barley, grass and bitter lemon.
This reveals the correct Ben Nevis character however there’s a unadorned, austere barley eau-de-vie aspect to it. Nonetheless a great distance from the older expression we love a lot, however clear and pure nonetheless. Nonetheless obtainable from sure retailers. Rating: 84/100
Ben Nevis 8 yo 2012 (59,2%, Swell de Spirits 2021, first fill Oloroso cask #1902, 50 cl, 297 btl.)
Nostril: rounder than the others, extra apple peelings, dried apricots, mushy hints of walnuts and even mild chocolate. Some grapefruit beneath, brown bread and whiffs of outdated steel instruments. Refined tobacco. Properly balanced.
Mouth: fairly highly effective and peppery. It has the coastal and waxy notes but additionally candy apples, extra tobacco leaves, earthy notes, cinnamon and inexperienced leafy notes. A refined bitterness too: herbs, walnuts and horseradish. Closely infused tea.
End: lengthy, nonetheless natural, with Seville oranges, ginger and some drops of Fernet Branca.
Nonetheless not an easy-going whisky, however significantly better when it comes to complexity and steadiness. The sherry rounds off the perimeters, provides character and doesn’t overshadow the core qualities. Rating: 86/100
