I did a whole series of Ben Nevis reviews and a write up on the distillery recently, so I am low on words to add about the Highland operation. Typically these younger Ben Nevis have not been to my taste, though they clearly have their fans and regularly appear from independent bottlers. One could imagine that we live in a golden age for Ben Nevis malts with plenty of 1990s casks floating around and a plethora of 2010s— this was simply not the case in the past. This wee dram came via a Cadenhead’s Enigma tasting pack that I picked up in Campbeltown.

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Whisky: Ben Nevis 11 Year (2012), Cadenhead’s Original Collection

Country/Region: Scotland/Highland

ABV: 46%

Cask: Bourbon

Age: 11 Years (Distilled 2012, Bottled July 2024)

Notes: The aroma was a confusing blast of salted caramel, fruit cocktail, and sour cream.  This was surely some child’s wild invention with sour gummy worms, cottage cheese, proving dough, and green apple jelly all tossed in a blender. Light-bodied on the palate, but still a bit oily, as fruit cocktail and salted caramel arrived first with some youthful, peppery spirit. Candied and sweet, there were hints of holly and eucalyptus in the background giving this a festively herbal and slightly medicinal quality that turned bitter toward the end. The creamy sourness of the aroma was tamped down, perhaps just a bit of freshly churned butter with green apple jelly and honey on the palate. The finish was medium-length with some gentle apple, candied sugars, and a touch of spirit and bitterness.

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Score: 5-6 (75)

Mental Image: Health Bar Smoothie Flavored Jelly Bean

Conclusion: The aroma was a bit wild and off-putting, weird in a way that I did not entirely enjoy. However, the palate was fairly straightforward and the finish was reasonably long considering the adjusted abv. That made for a somewhat disjointed experience as I did not really want to smell this whisky, but I did not mind drinking it, even if it was a touch bitter on the back end. I have never had a dram remind me of sour cream before, but it was such a strong and clear note on this dram. Overall, not my cup of tea, but not bad.