Whisky: Ben Nevis 7 Year (2014), The Single Cask Ltd. Cask 105

Country/Region: Scotland/Highland

ABV: 58%

Cask: First Fill Oloroso Quarter Cask

Age: 7 Years (Distilled 16 June 2014, Bottled 14 Feb. 2022)

Nose: Nougat, chocolate, caramel, hints of smoke and earth, caramelized pears, dry autumn vegetations, mulled wine spices, honey, kiss of rubber.

Palate: Medium-bodied, oily, roasted pear and honey, funky earth and sulfur briefly, caramel, nuts, chocolate, nougat, subtle cardamon and anise, hazelnut, chocolate, hints of vanilla and orange.

Finish: Long and lingering with caramel, nuts, and hints of chocolate.

Score: 7

Mental Image: Snickers Bar by Candlelight

Narrative & Notes: An altar shrine dedicated to the Gods Mars and Snickers flickered in the lamplight as the scent of nougat, caramel, and milt chocolate filled the air with a wisp of earthy smoke. Caramelized pears and hints of meat introduced dried autumn vegetation, fallen leaves, and mulled wine with cardamon, cinnamon, anise, and a kiss of rubber. Medium-bodied, oily, and very viscous, the flavors on the palate mirrored the nose closely with an additional gust of funky earth and sulfur that quickly faded from view. Roasted pears and honey with ribbons of caramel, roasted macadamia nuts, chocolate, and nougat reinforced the idea of a Snickers bar or a fancier decadent dessert. Cardamon and anise led to hazelnut ganache and chocolate cake near the end, with more subtle notions of vanilla and orange. The finish was long and lingering with caramel, nuts, and hints of chocolate.

The bottle art is part of a series done by the crew in Singapore, all under the theme of Exploration using the visuals and aesthetics of space and electronic music. I was told this label reflected the black of space because it represented the beginning of the line, a space to be filled in over time by other bottles and releases. The art ramped up rapidly after this release, with tons of color exploding from the darkness and eventually the sun sperm label from my previous review. I cannot wait to see what comes next!

The whisky itself was very dessert-like and not at all the funk bomb I expected. We nosed the bottles a couple days before trying it and penciled it in as something we hoped to get to while still here. Heavily peated Ben Nevis can be a wild-earthy delight, and that was about what we expected after the initial nosing highlighted mud masks and hints of sulfur. Those notes were present but hidden beneath layers of candy bars and decadent desserts. I was surprised to hear from my wife that she enjoyed it and thought the viscous malt nicely balanced the rich flavors and notes.

Overall, I wanted something a bit dirtier, but this was really enjoyable for what it was. Going another direction with the description, I could imagine this also coming off as a battle between titans— the robust malt, big sherry influence, and an underlying vanilla-caramel oak from the quarter cask.