Ben Nevis 25 Year (1996), Blackadder Cask 2203
Whisky: Ben Nevis 25 Year (1996), Blackadder Cask 2203
Country/Region: Scotland/Highland
ABV: 51.9%
Cask: Sherry Butt
Age: 25 Years (Distilled 5 Dec. 1996, Bottled June 2022)
Nose: Big sherry cask influence, cherry and orange, baking spices, Christmas, chocolate, dark caramel.
Palate: Medium to full-bodied, big sherry cask, chocolate, cherries, baking spices, slightly creamy, more leather and matches further in, clove and orange at the end.
Finish: The finish was long and slightly drying with leather, struck matches, butterscotch, and a kiss of marshmallow.
Score: 8-9 (89)
Mental Image: Judging Christmas Cake Week in the Tent
Narrative & Notes: The aroma was packed full of sherry cask-driven fruits and spices with cherry syrups, charred orange rind, cloves, and a kiss of ginger. It was all very Christmas-like and festive with more dark chocolate, fudge, marshmallow, and butterscotch cookies coming on later— a black forest cake perhaps? Medium to full-bodied, the flavor profile was unctuous with rich sherry-driven fruits and spices. Plenty of chocolate, cherries, and cream led to spicier notions of cinnamon, cloves, and gingerbread for a full spread of holiday desserts. Savory notes of leather, oil lamps, and struck match heads lingered further in, though cloves and orange pulled me back toward the holidays at the end. The finish was long and slightly drying with a touch of leather, struck matches, butterscotch, and a kiss of marshmallow.
This did not so much exemplify the tropical fruits some seek from 1996 Ben Nevis, as it showcased just what a good sherry cask can do with the right malt. This was wonderfully fruity and sweet, with just enough savory elements between the leather and subtle sulfur to give Ben Nevis its funky character, and dark chocolate to bring it back to dessert. I love a good black forest cake— or milk shake— and this presented plenty of variations on that classic combination.
Overall, a fantastic holiday pour, though not the type of profile I often gravitate toward.
