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| Hello, that is one in every of our (nearly) each day tastings. Santé! |
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February 21, 2022
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Please be aware that we’re not speaking about an avalanche ON Ben Nevis. It is all the time with a lot pleasure that we’re having a go at a bunch of malt whiskies from Ben Nevis; to assume that within the previous days, it was nearly simpler to strive the make as a element of some Japanese whiskies…
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We’ll do that session randomly and never vertically or by ascending energy.
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Ben Nevis 24 yo 1996/2021 (45.6%, Duckhammers & High quality Spirits for Wu Dram Clan, hogshead, cask #1408, 290 bottles) 
Ouch, I am afraid we may very well be means too excessive already. A determine of speech, naturally. Now beginning with a benchmark may make for a good suggestion too (greedy at straws). Color: straw. Nostril: wham! Spent engine oil, sauvignon blanc, olive oil, pineapple wine, grapefruit juice, candles, soot, moist plaster, vin jaune… Too excessive, we’re too excessive… Mouth: splendid already, salty, stuffed with capers, olives, chalk, then mangos and papayas juice. Then paraffin, as anticipated. We’re retaining this quick however we adore it. End: the sauvignon blanc is again. Nice white Sancerre, appropriately salty and chalky too. Feedback: proper up my avenue. I am going to say it once more, we’re too quick… These ex-hogshead 1996s are sometimes a part of the best malt whiskies made within the Nineties. With a toast to Colin Ross. It is to be famous {that a} sister cask had been bottled as an official non-public expression (#1407) however I do not assume we’ll have it at the moment. By the way in which, given the label, I used to be positive we would discover some mezcal on this one…
SGP:562 – 91 factors. |
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Ben Nevis 6 yo 2014/2021 (57.1%, La Maison du Whisky, Collective 5.0) 
Excellent label, you’d consider we’re on the Maeght Basis in Saint-Paul de Vence. Hope the very younger whisky can be from the identical fabric, so to talk. Color: gold. Nostril: I discover it a bit of Clynelishy, with a buttery waxiness then butter cream and recent raisin rolls. Fairly some fudge too, as if the cask had been fairly lively, then merely some huge whiffs of manzanilla, with presumably a couple of dollops of lighter-style Jamaican rum. Younger and never immature in any respect. With water: doughier, chalkier, with extra soot and porridge. Mouth (neat): the youth feels. Think about somebody would have blended some white Hampden with some pear juice, olive oil, lemon juice, orange juice, mead and simply candied zests. Very tight, nearly thick, superb (I feel). They made the youth an asset, it appears. With water: fairly elegant. What an completely good spirit! End: lengthy, on lemons, lime leaves, wax, lemons and chalk. Feedback: dazzled, I’m (however not confused, ha). One of many top-five distillates in SCO as of late.
SGP:652 – 89 factors. |
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We’re nonetheless too excessive, are we not…
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Ben Nevis 17 yo 2003/2021 (55.3%, Blackadder for Malt Whisky H.Ok. and HNWS Taiwan, hogshead, cask #379, 260 bottles)
Color: gentle gold. Nostril: holy Suzy, it is a fatter one once more, while somewhat serendipitously, we would navigate between the 1996 and the 2003 style-wise. Which, I agree, would make sense (each time I am making an attempt any whiskies from Blackadder’s, I really feel like I am Baldrick). Good white Sancerre matured in a recent pièce. With water: uncommon, on lees, leaves, inexperienced tea and vase water. Contemporary bark, salsify maybe, stalks… Sancerre certainly. Mouth (neat): a bit of extra on many citrus and inexperienced spices, and somewhat much less on waxes, chalks and soot. Nonetheless, fairly some dough and fruit peel, particularly inexperienced banana peel. With water: the sootiness is again. Inexperienced tea, leaves, then some greener honey. Fir? End: lengthy, on inexperienced bananas and inexperienced teas. Beautiful camphory notes within the aftertaste, additionally mint tea and a contact of salt. Feedback: one other nice variation on BN. Nice enjoyable, nice whisky, bordering perfection.
SGP:561 – 89 factors. |
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Ben Nevis 25 yo 1996/2021 (51.1%, The Whisky Alternate, hogshead)
I’ve a foul feeling, we should always stay within the whisky stratosphere right here. Nonetheless too excessive (‘randomly’, he stated), we may name this a Concorde session. Color: gold. Nostril: hell and putrefaction! Mangos, beeswax, fresh-squeezed oranges, pistachio oil, then chalk and wool. Yeah yeah yeah… With water: tiny flowers and herbs, woodruff, honeysuckle, violets, blue mallows… Then pink bananas and blood oranges. Slaughter. Mouth (neat): pah-pah-pah-pah-pah… Previous Bushmills plus Lochside and Clynelish. Pah-pah-pah-pah-pah (no, no a refund, ever). … With water: oh! Acacia honey, orange juice, barley syrup, agave syrup, these tiny edible flowers, grenadine syrup… End: medium, and admittedly candy now. There, some mentholy paraffin within the aftertaste. Feedback: pondering of our buddies in London. Hope they saved all of the bottles for themselves and that they are at present quaffing them away… By the way in which, this was a somewhat ‘gentler’ 1996 in my e-book.
SGP:651 – 91 factors. |
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Ben Nevis 8 yo 2012/2021 (59.9%, The Golden Cask, The Whisky Barrel unique, bourbon, cask #CM277, 257 bottles) 
I would like to seek out one BN that will be extra brutal. Harm me, Ben Nevis! (heeeey)… Color: pale white wine, there you go. Nostril: eau-de-vie de barley. Candlewax, recent hazelnuts, sunflower oil, one olive, a contact of cardamom and Thai basil. That is completely different certainly, presumably fairly refined, let’s have a look at. With water: touches of seawater coming although, whelks, a bit of rubber (or tyres)… Mouth (neat): oh, no, it is nice, even when nearly completely on vanilla, williams pears and mezcal. I would have by no means thought you would mix williams pear eau-de-vie and mezcal. Be aware to self: strive that proper tonight. With water: extra of the identical, plus a saltiness. Pears and salt, I would have by no means thought that will work… End: lengthy, nonetheless eau-de-vie-ish. Feedback: we regularly inform that the primary distinction between whisky and rum is the truth that you may have rum ‘white’. Effectively, you could have some whiskies ‘white’ too. I imply, nearly white. Good Ben Nevis, as soon as once more, just a bit less complicated, which is regular. Nice bottle.
SGP:651 – 87 factors. |
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We have got extra Golden Casks however we’ll have them later. A number of weeks of glass-aging will not do them any hurt ;-).
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Ben Nevis 25 yo (51.2%, The Whisky Present London 2021, 100 bottles)
100 bottles, that is not a lot. Color: lighter gold. Nostril: some well-aged manzanilla, actually. Chalk, mustard, seawater, inexperienced walnuts, chalk, mustard, seawater, inexperienced walnuts, chalk, mustard, seawater, inexperienced walnuts, chalk… (I feel they obtained it, S.). With water: acetone and polish! Hey! Mouth (neat): a bit of brutal, nearly rustic, however stunningly manzanilla-y as soon as once more. Extra inexperienced pepper than within the others. With water: an extravagant saltiness. I am afraid we’ll have to say manzanilla as soon as extra. End: lengthy however a bit of gentler and rounder. Paraffin and vanilla, walnut oil within the aftertaste. Extra walnut oil too. Feedback: I might suppose this was one other 1996. Effectively, it was somewhat much less civilised than its siblings. And by the way in which, the place’s the remainder of the cask? PS I adore it (drop cinema, S.)
SGP:561 – 90 factors. |
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Ben Nevis 1996/2021 (52.8%, The Whisky Jury, sherry butt, cask #1773, 354 bottles)
Extra sister casks, what a sibship certainly, though this is able to be a butt. It is humorous that some bottlers would name themselves ‘Jury’, I had thought the jury can be us shoppers. Bah, that is all very charming, actually… Color: deep gold. Nostril: the primary sherried Ben Nevis the place the sherry really feels, I might say. Walnuts are up, so are oranges, tobaccos, goodies, paprika, even turmeric (gently), bark… It’s also comparatively earthier than the others. With water: will get splendidly dustier and earthier. Undecided that was essential, however since somebody stuffed this cask, again in 1996… Some Jamaican espresso too. Mouth (neat): this one’s the closest to the ‘common’ OBs. I imply, inside this session. Grenadine and strawberry syrup, anybody? And leather-based, oloroso, tobacco, salty soups… With water: a beautiful bouillony saltiness, however we now have the impression that it is a little tautological. End: lengthy, with some plastics, mustard, paraffin and mustard. Feedback: completely superior however a bit of robust. A unclean cask on a grimy spirit (I could must discover a higher phrase than ‘soiled’). Pleasure issue down.
SGP:362 – 86 factors. |
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Please a bourbon hogshead…
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Ben Nevis 24 yo 1997/2021 (53%, Chapter 7, Monologue, bourbon hogshead, cask #30, 229 bottles)
Color: gentle gold. Nostril: this one’s somewhat extra buttery, there are additionally notes of cream cheese, porridge, sourdough, then cocoa and coal mud. Tends to turn into very chocolaty. With water: herbs and fern, cocoa powder, sage, some sort of natural mud. Are we actually positive this wasn’t ex-sherry? Mouth (neat): very good, wealthy and tight on the identical time, with nearly one thing Ardbeggian. Chocolate made with olive oil – in fact that exists, simply verify L’Espérantine de Marseille. Now if that exists certainly, it is not too good, this whisky is a lot better IMHO. With water: we’re nearly on Islay, that is nearly a plain peater, as if the hogshead had been ex-Ardbeg certainly. Ardbeg wooden un-rinsed-out. End: lengthy, with way more citrus. Beautiful lemony end. Feedback: an adventurous malt, as they used to say in brochures. Beautiful lemons and inexperienced pepper within the aftertaste.
SGP:653 – 88 factors. |
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Eight superb-to-stunning Ben Nevisses, that is an incredible deal. So, see you, we would have many extra BNs within the very shut future, keep tuned. And peace.
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