Whisky : Ben Nevis 4 Year (2015), Morrison and MacKay Càrn Mòr for Whiskysite.nl

Country/Region : Scotland/Highland

ABV : 50%

Cask : Sherry Hogshead

Age : 4 Year (Distilled 2015, Bottled 2020)

Nose : Butterscotch, earth, and grass.  Sticky notes of nougat, caramel, butterscotch, and brown sugar.  Earthy smoke, like roasted pumpkins and butternut squash in a clay oven, dried grass, mangroves, and wisps of smoke from a burning bog.

Palate : Medium to light body with a mild oiliness and notes of swamp, charred sugar, and starch.  Smoke and mustiness as if opening an earthen oven right outside a bog or mangrove swamp.  Musty decay, wet vegetation, and grassy smoke.  Hints of tobacco faded to charred starchy foods— roasted sweet potato, burnt breadfruit skin, and taro.

Finish : Lingering ash and earth with subtle sugars.

Score : 3

Mental Image : Peeling the ‘Uru

Notes : For better or worse this reminded me of a heavily peated Jura.  To be fair, that was the bit I really liked about this.  The impression of a mangrove swamp was right up my alley, as were notes of earthen ovens and caramelized starches.  I did not quite care for the way in which caramel and butterscotch seemed to play in this— it left the impression of bog flavored candy at some moments.  The body was a little on the weak side and dissipated too quickly across the palate.

Overall, this was interesting.  I would not have guessed this was only four years old, matured in a sherry cask, or from Ben Nevis.  There was nothing about this that would have directed me toward any of those things and I am sure I would have guessed this was a teenage Jura.  While I thought this was interesting, it was not really something I would want to have at home.  I’d happily accept a pour, but I am not racing out to try this again.

Image Credit: Whiskybase user Wolf68