Ben Nevis 23 Year (1996), Hunter Laing Cask 15973
Whisky: Ben Nevis 23 Year (1996), Hunter Laing Cask 15973
Country/Region: Scotland/Highland
ABV: 50%
Cask: Refill Butt
Age: 23 Years (Distilled Oct. 1996, Bottled Oct. 2019)
Nose: Fruity and tropical, melon and guava candies, salted pickled plum, condensed milk, earth, wood.
Palate: Medium-bodied, oily, somewhat austere, tropical fruit syrups, earth, dried vegetation, fermented fruits, dusty earth, wood.
Finish: Long and mild with tropical fruit and dry summer grass.
Score: 8 (87)
Mental Image: Parking Lot Shave Ice
Narrative & Notes: On the aroma were melon and guava candies alongside a line of sticky sweet syrups ready to poured over a bowl of shave ice— blue vanilla and raspberry, cherry limeade, and pineapple. Additional toppings were available with some salt li hing powder and creamy condensed milk; sugary accents with hints of a dusty gravel parking lot and wooden spoons. Medium-bodied with a lovely oily viscosity that carried loads of sugary syrups on a slightly austere profile, especially as more dusty earth, palm fronds, and wood emerged. Tropical shave ice was on order with mango, blue raspberry, strawberry, and cherry syrups in a soggy paper cup. Hints of chalky candies and fermented overripe fruit lingered further in with a wooden spoon and the earthy gravel parking lot dust kicked up by a car driving too fast. The finish was long and mild with refreshing fruits and a touch of dry summer grass.
This was closer to what I expected from these 1996 Ben Nevis than some of the other whiskies I reviewed this week with far more of the upfront tropical fruits and sweet syrups. Earth, grass, paper, and something almost like the distant smell of cigarette smoke, lingered further in the background so that this felt far closer to a fruit bomb than not. A touch austere on the palate, it was a refreshing whisky, and almost far too easy to drink— my glass kept emptying far too quickly.
Overall, a delightful Ben Nevis and something very close to the 1996 ideal.
Image Credit: WhiskyShop
