SMWS may not have much in the way of stately old Ben Nevis, but for the last several years it has had no shortage of young, fruity, and spirited malts from the distillery. Most have been straight first fill bourbon maturations, but a few followed the path of today’s whisky— five or six years in a hogshead, and then a massive first fill sherry finish. The style is not my favorite, but it clearly has its fans.

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Whisky: Ben Nevis 9 Year, SMWS 78.85 “Walking through a spice market”

Country/Region: Scotland/Highland

ABV: 59.7%

Cask: Hogshead (5Y), First Fill Oloroso Sherry Hogshead

Age: 9 Years (Bottled 2024)

Notes: Fruity and intensely woody with lacquered wood, brown sugar, and resin. Rum soaked raisins, maple syrup, red bean, stone fruit pits, and warm cedar wood lingered in the air—snacks and cakes in a summer ryokan. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, the whisky was spirited and youthful with plenty of pepper and woody tannins. Stone fruit pits and cedar wood appeared with plenty of dried persimmon, plum, and raisins. Brown sugar buns and maple syrup soaked waffles appeared as malty sugars took shape. The finish was long and drying with dried fruits, peppery spirit, and woody tannins.

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Score: 6 (77)

Mental Image: Breakfast Pastry Bento

Conclusion: There was no missing the cask on this one, even coming into it without any details beyond the age and bottler— sometimes these art labels from SMWS provide a dearth of information. The sherry finish was cranked up to full volume with plenty of woodier elements joining the fruits. The rich malt provided a twist to the affair, so that this never felt completely obliterated by the cask, though it was a close affair. The whisky was spirited, peppery, and youthful. No surprise there. A few drops of water helped bring balance, but raised the sweetness too close to cloying for my taste. Overall, a tasty young dram, not really my style, but I know plenty of people who love these boisterous Ben Nevis.