Review by: Raygun

1990s Ben Nevis is highly sought after, justifiably so in my experience. After reviewing a very nice 98 a few weeks ago, this time I’ve got a 97 in glass. For whatever reason, there’s a lot fewer bottlings from those years than from 1996. I wouldn’t think it has much to do with the purchase by Nikka, because that was in 1989, and I’m not sure what the reason is. Most of the ones I’ve had were bourbon maturation, but this one’s a sherry butt. Rested about 15 minutes.

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Distillery: Ben Nevis

Bottler: Douglas Laing    

Region/style: Highlands single malt Scotch

ABV: 50%

Age: 20 years old. Distilled in February 1997 and bottled in May 2017.   

Cask type: Refill (sherry) butt, 626 bottles

Color: 0.4 jonquil. Natural color and chill-filtered. Must be a very refill butt.

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Nose: Eclairs, orange creamsicle, wax, and some forest. Although it’s very pale, there is noticeable sherry here. Hints of prunes and fennel.                      

Palate: Lovely. Mascarpone cheese, honey, orange, wax, starfruit, and dried papaya. The sherry influence is there, but fairly subtle. Takes the fruit in a slightly different direction. There are some more savory touches, with Romano cheese. Does really well with a few drops of water. Flavors intensify in general. More citrus especially, now turning toward Meyer lemon. 

Finish: More mascarpone and pastry. Has a cannoli thing going on. Orange, peach, starfruit, and papaya. More prunes, or maybe salted plums are closer. Falls off a little from the palate. 

Conclusion: Not reaching the heights of some other 90s Ben Nevis, but still a great pour. A little more savory than most, which could be the sherry influence at work. The sherry is pretty mild overall, but it does bring in some different flavors compared to bourbon casks. A little tart aspect works really well to highlight some of the other flavors. This was part of a small series called Consortium of Cards, with each bottle having a card on the label: this was the king. Probably why it’s bottled at 50% rather than Old Particular’s usual 48.4%. Can’t tell what the series was for. In any case, I’d be happy to have a bottle. It’s delicious.

Score: 88

Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky. (Convalmore 36)
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category. (Bruichladdich Black Art 4.1)
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram. (Ledaig 13 Amontillado)
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff. (Tomatin 18)
• 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting. (Glen Scotia 15)
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better. (Aultmore 12)
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink. (Glenmorangie 10)
• 50-59: Save it for mixing. (Old Pulteney 12)
• 0-49: Blech. (Muirhead’s Silver Seal 16)