This Ben Nevis comes via Single Malt Dreams, a Norway-based independent bottler. They have only limited entries on Whiskybase, so I gather this must be a new, small-time, or hobby operation— which is how many independent bottlers get their start. This was their highest rated bottle on Whiskybase, and snagging a 1990s Ben Nevis to bottle is quite the coup!  Surely the sort of dram that brings a crowd.

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Whisky: Ben Nevis 25 Year (1995), Single Malt Dreams Cask 962

Country/Region: Scotland/Highland

ABV: 47.9%

Cask: Bourbon Hogshead

Age: 25 Years (Distilled Nov. 1995, Bottled Aug. 2021)

Notes: Chalky candies and praline appeared with more subtle citrus on a generally austere, reserved aroma. Softwood, canvas, mineral oil, and fixatives for charcoal art left me wandering in an art store. A touch of caramel donuts and wispy old tobacco fumes kept me in the store, but closer to a complimentary coffee station. Medium-bodied and oily on the palate, the flavors remained austere with mineral oil, citrus rind, praline, caramel, and stale donuts. Slightly sour at the end with old tobacco infused couch cushions— or a touch of bong water maybe. Buttery and oily, the mouthfeel was wonderful and the flavors decidedly old fashioned.  The finish was long and a touch sour with soft wood, glue, citrus rind, and buttery biscuits.

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Score: 6 (79)

Mental Image: Tasting the Display Canvas

Conclusion: This was a miss for me, but I can see why it was popular among a certain set of whiskybase reviewers: it has got some real old school musty funk and alchemy near the end. It was a bit sour to my taste, and I never found all the bright tropical fruits others mentioned— only fleetingly on the aroma a couple of times. The whisky had a wonderful mouthfeel, but it was otherwise challenging. Overall, a whisky bar pour— the sort of dram that benefits from the right environment, crowd, and mood. It was interesting enough to keep my attention, but not the sort of dram I usually want at home or feel compelled to seek out.