Ben Nevis 25 Year (1998), Westie Sponge No. 5
Whisky: Ben Nevis 25 Year (1998), Westie Sponge No. 5
Country/Region: Scotland/Highlands
ABV: 50.8%
Cask: Refill Hogshead
Age: 25 Years (Distilled 1998, Bottled 2024)
Nose: Fruity and malty, brown sugar, pastries, butter, slightly musty and dirty at times, dried grass.
Palate: Medium-bodied, fruity and musty, sometimes yeasty and fermented, pastries, citrus, moth balls.
Finish: Medium to long with fruity sugars, dusty wood, nuts, brown sugar, and occasionally some yeasty-herbal funk.
Score: 7 (82)
Mental Image: Breakfast Buns on the Parkway
Narrative & Notes: The aroma invited me into a Korean bakery with brown sugar, red bean paste, walnut buns, and pancakes sitting next to toasted bread with a slab of butter and some sweet kaya jam. Yeasty fermentation and raisins lingered further in with grape must, poppy seeds, and hints of mango. Slightly musty and dirty at times, like old weathered wood and dried grass. Medium-bodied on the palate, the flavors were fruity and musty, occasionally a touch yeasty and fermented. Grape must and mango tickled my fancy alongside maltier pastries— lovely soft buns with a side of cream, kaya, and lemon curd, depending on the mood. More wood and mustier notions of dust bunnies, or even slightly medicinal moth balls with camphor. The finish was medium to long with teases of fruity sugars, but more dusty wood, walnut, brown sugar buns, and occasionally a touch of yeasty-herbal funk.
Fruity and malty, there was much to admire about this quarter century old Ben Nevis. The flavors were brighter and more intense than many of the 1996ers I reviewed recently, but not as tropical or juicy, with more malty pastries and slightly drying nuttiness or wood coming through. It was altogether a touch sweet for my taste, but enjoyed some of the earthier aspects, as they provided some welcome depth and complexity.
Overall, tasty fare, which feels like high praise considering the typical disconnect between Ben Nevis and me.
Image Credit: Decadent Drinks
