Review by: Raygun
Another private cask of Ben Nevis, this one bottled for Antony Woodville Pirt. It’s kind of wild to think that only 12 years ago casks of Ben Nevis were being sold to random individuals, given how demand has spiked recently. I do prefer Ben Nevis in bourbon casks, but had some great refill sherry ones, too. Reviewed from a sample. Rested about 15 minutes.
Distillery: Ben Nevis
Bottler: Ben Nevis
Region/style: Highlands single malt Scotch
ABV: 55.3%. Cask strength.
Age: 18 years old. Distilled on November 16, 1995 and bottled in March 2014.
Cask type: Refill sherry butt #922, 545 bottles
Color: 0.8 deep gold. Natural color and non-chill-filtered.
Nose: So much toffee. Butter, maple syrup, and cashews. Pear, yeast. A little chocolatey.
Palate: Has some of the tropical fruit character of 90s Ben Nevis, in the form of mango and passion fruit. Nice brightness. Toffee, maple syrup, and white chocolate. Some of the yeasty flavor. Pleasantly tart.
Finish: Toffee, mango, golden kiwi, and maple cashews. Haven’t had those in a while. Stroopwaffles. Very drying.
Conclusion: Not overtaken by sherry, which is just what I prefer. Maintains enough Ben Nevis character. Not the best of what I’ve had from the 90s era, but plenty respectable. More buttery toffee than most, and not as tropical as my favorite ones. Still, I wouldn’t complain about having a bottle at all, and it probably wouldn’t last that long.
Score: 83
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)
