While the mid-1990s Ben Nevis have all the fun, there are those who seek out these older casks. No one has bottled more of these early-1990s Ben Nevis than Signatory Vintage. Andrew Symington, the founder of Signatory, must have struck gold on a massive seem of casks at one point.  That seem must have run dry because Signatory bottled very few casks from later in the 1990s or early 2000s, only putting out a new wave of Ben Nevis post-2010 when it seems to the distillery began releasing a much greater quantity of casks to independent bottlers.

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Whisky: Ben Nevis 25 Year (1991), Signatory Vintage Cask 2915

Country/Region: Scotland/Highland

ABV: 58.4%

Cask: Sherry Butt

Age: 25 Years (Distilled 16 Aug. 1991, Bottled 13 Sept. 2016)

Notes: Filthy and sour, the aroma featured rubber hiking boots, mud baths, sulfur hot springs, cedar wood, crystalized honey, and rotting fruit on the forest trail. A touch of egg shell reminded me of a visit to Owakudani: the sulfur and chemical smell of the air and the black eggs cooked at the summit. Medium-bodied and syrupy on the palate, fruits arrived first this time with sulfur, earth, and some peppery spirit following close behind. Molasses, honey, and strawberries came with persimmon and kumquats for a slightly tannic and unique fruity profile. Black eggs with a touch of sulfur and minerals followed with old coffee grounds, earth, and rubber hiking boots. The finish was medium-length, drying, and a bit peppery with some honey and fruit preserves over malty, slightly burnt, toast.

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Score: 5-6 (75)

Mental Image: Hakone Ropeway 

Conclusion: I may be cursed with these 1991 Ben Nevis— I hear such good things, and even saw a friend had favorably reviewed this exact whisky on Whiskybase. However, I always seem to get more sulfur and egg shells on this vintage. While I enjoy a dirty whisky on occasion, these have not tickled my fancy. There were only a handful of other reviews I found, but no one else seemed to get quite so much sulfur and earth— so your mileage may vary here. Overall, an interesting whisky, but too dirty and spirited for my taste.