Ben Nevis 10 Year
Whisky: Ben Nevis 10 Year
Country/Region: Scotland/Highland
ABV: 46%
Cask: Oak
Age: 10 Years (Bottled c. 2010s)
Nose: Cream, caramel, musty, hints of smoke, wood, and subtle earth.
Palate: Light-bodied, autumn leaves, earth, baking spices, cream, wispy tobacco, feinty, pepper.
Finish: Medium to short with orchard fruit, earth, pepper, and autumn leaves.
Score: 5 (75)
Mental Image: Smoking in the Lecture Hall
Narrative & Notes: Creamy nougat and peanut brittle collided with slightly over cooked caramel— a bit of bitter sticky treacle. Smoking jackets and old wooden tobacco pipes lent an air of class to musty notes of old carpet and dust bunnies— a bit like an engineering classroom left dormant since the 1970s, or in need or serious renovation. Light-bodied and very autumn with fallen leaves, earth, and enough baking spices for me to imagine some proper gingerbread men, or perhaps a gingerbread latte with a gentle creaminess and touch of vanilla. Dirtier notes of tobacco and tail pipes lingered further in and gradually brought me back to that old classroom with a kiss of feinty chemical and pepper. The finish was medium to short, mild with dried orchard fruits, earth, pepper, and fallen leaves.
I find Ben Nevis a bit of an odd ball, I know fans that go crazy for it, swearing by some of the very tropical vintages of the 90s or seek out punchier and young fare from the 2010s. There is an odd feinty quality on some of the bottles that puts up a block on my palate, and I get distracted by some of the mustier, slightly off notes that others seem to skip on by. This 10 Year from the 2010s was no exception. While it had some classic cream, caramel, and autumn vibes, it also had stale tobacco and old carpet that felt less welcomed.
Overall, an interesting dram with tons of character, but not one I would seek out.
