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| Hello, that is one in all our (nearly) day by day tastings. Santé! |
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July 19, 2024
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On the hunt for Ben Nevis, Half Quatro
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| Typical whisky vacationer in entrance of the distillery (Ben Nevis) |
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One wonders if the expression ‘to wax lyrical’ wasn’t invented throughout a tasting of outdated Ben Nevis. Fairly happy with this remark (S., it is simply embarrassing Ed).
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Ben Nevis 23 yo 1999/2022 (53.8%, Restricted, bourbon hogshead, cask #905, 276 bottles) 
These new G&M-style bottles are actually beautiful. Excuse me? Sure, it is what’s inside that counts. Color: gold. Nostril: barely much less ‘current’ vintages, much less idiosyncratic, however with a beautiful oiliness, nougat, sesame and sunflower oils, apple, gooseberries, gentle IPA, a tiny trace of vanilla and cedarwood… With water: new pullovers in a pullover store and waxed paper. Mouth (neat): full-on lemon juice, herb juice, inexperienced bell pepper, then grapefruit zest and a contact of recent concrete. Melon pores and skin and grape stalk. With water: the waxed paper returns, cedarwood, and even uncooked wool. End: lengthy, considerably austere, a bit yeasty, ending with notes of ouzo and pastis. Feedback: not some of the basic Ben Nevis, however seems to be like we’re already flying at very excessive altitude.
SGP:562 – 88 factors. |
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Ben Nevis 24 yo 1997/2022 (52%, Abyss Whisky Bar, Hong Kong, hogshead, cask #590, 274 bottles)
Properly, if it’s on the similar degree as their interstellar 1996, it’s going to be splendid, however is that even doable? Color: white wine. Nostril: beautiful notes of recent bourbon, vanilla, pina colada, coconut, gentle natural teas, candy woodruff, mullein flowers, pink grapefruit… That is all magnificent, nevertheless it’s a a lot tamer type in comparison with most different Ben Nevis. With water: small pink bananas, pollen, tiny touches of recent cardboard… Mouth (neat): delicate and fruity, on gentle citrus, tangerine, Sichuan pepper, papaya… Though the pepper positive aspects pace, reinforcing that BN character. With water: candy mint and anise seem, delicate liquorice, curaçao, mango liqueur… End: medium size, candy, peppery, and fruity. Feedback: it doesn’t have the admirable rigidity of their 1996, nevertheless it’s nonetheless a really tremendously glorious (!) whisky, let’s not be too choosy.
SGP:651 – 89 factors. |
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Ben Nevis 27 yo 1996/2023 (44.2%, Classic Bottlers, hogshead, cask #1707, 189 bottles)
Color: white wine. Nostril: fairly good. Banana smoothie with recent mint and linden honey. However actually, who could possibly be in opposition to that? A number of touches of brioche dough and beeswax, nevertheless it stays fruity, straightforward, and irresistible. Mouth: it’s nearly syrup, it’s so candy, with an Irish facet, mangoes, pear juice, prickly pears, meadow honey… Solely within the far distance do you discover some waxy, peppery, and ashy touches reminding you it’s a Ben Nevis. End: medium size however scrumptious, honeyed, with even a little bit of recent sugarcane juice. Feedback: a Ben Nevis all about smoothness and drinkability. You can drink it like a wine, for example with foie gras. Sure, I swear.
SGP:641 – 89 factors. |
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Right here, there’s a little brother… We frequently discuss concerning the classic for barley, however I remind you that, with the dormancy intervals and so forth, usually, the distilled barley comes from the earlier yr. In different phrases, the overwhelming majority of the 1997 batch ought to have been distilled from 1996 barley.
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Ben Nevis 26 yo 1997/2022 (47.1%, Classic Bottlers, hogshead, cask #416, 252 bottles)
Color: white wine. Nostril: there is a beautiful rigidity right here with notes of grapefruit, sauvignon blanc, and lime, accompanied by the faintest trace of excessive ester Jamaican rum. Throw in some recent ink, paper, and people new jumpers we have talked about earlier than—bear in mind them? Mouth: sweeter and softer however nonetheless sustaining that rigidity. It is not far off a grapefruit liqueur (grapefruitcello? Pompelmocello?), then comes a little bit of paraffin oil, touches of rubber, and pencil lead, making it a basic but intermediate BN type. End: medium size, barely candy maybe, however glorious. Aniseed biscuits linger on the finish—these Alsatian anis bredala (or bredele up north, however we’re extra south at WF Towers). Okay, I’ve famous you didn’t care. Feedback: actually somewhat extraordinarily good.
SGP:652 – 89 factors. |
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We’re actually coming into nit-pickers’ territory with all these superlatives 199Xs…
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Ben Nevis 27 yo 1996/2023 (49.4%, The Spirits Hunters, HNWS & Dadi Liquor, hogshead, cask #890, 235 bottles) 
Dadi Liquor? We used to have a surprising guitarist right here in France named Marcel Dadi, who was one of many kings of fingerpicking. Test him out! Alas, he handed away in 1996 within the explosion of TWA Flight 800 shortly after its departure from New York. Color: straw. Nostril: initially, vegetal notes from the cask, melon rind, freshly reduce grass, liquorice wooden, recent mint leaves, asparagus… then, solely unique fruits, however extra on the peel facet, with a sure subtlety. Banana pores and skin, mango pores and skin, a number of flowers… All very elegant and filled with self-control. Mouth: fruitier, extra ‘Irish’, extra on plums, quinces, apple and pear skins, then we discover some saline touches reminding us it’s certainly Ben Nevis. End: fairly lengthy, with extra wax, and a few notes of candied sugar. The aftertaste is extra bitter, peppery, extra on leaves and peels. Feedback: all in all, a really stunning 1996, however somewhat extra austere, extra herbaceous, and fewer instant than others. However nice drop.
SGP:461 – 87 factors. |
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Ben Nevis 26 yo 1996/2022 (51.9%, Nickolls & Perks, Inaugural Casks, refill hogshead, cask #854, 148 bottles) 
Color: pale gold. Nostril: bananas of all types, apples as properly, acacia flowers, honeysuckle, dandelions, prairie honey, South-Burgundian chardonnay (higher and cheaper), beeswax and pollen… looks as if one thing’s cooking right here… With water: an earthy facet emerges, chalk, wool, stearin, lamp oil… Mouth: bingo, mangos, pink pepper, prime tea tannins, bananas, pomelos (why not?) … With water: abfab tense citrus, yellow and white fruits. Hits our whisky G-spot. End: lengthy, lemony and honeyed. Woodruff. Good. Feedback: I all of a sudden realise this tasting be aware has been considerably accelerated and that some nuances could have been missed. I apologise for that.
SGP:561 – 90 factors. |
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Ben Nevis 26 yo 1996/2022 (53.2%, The Whisky Blues for Whisky Age, refill hogshead, cask #1694, 169 bottles)
Color: vin blanc. Nostril: absolutely on the distillate’s DNA, that’s to say chalk, wool, bread dough, soot, ashes, and candy mustard. Nothing extra, nothing much less. With water: extra of all that, chalk, wool, porridge, ink… Mouth (neat): a lot fruitier, with particularly goji berries (I swear) and small plums. We’re getting nearer to these little berries we love a lot, holly, rowan, service, sloe… They make the most effective eaux-de-vie on this planet! And let’s not even point out sorb and jujubes (oops, too late). With water: I am keen on it. Magnificent rigidity, small white fruits, hints of ardour fruit, however no mango. I believe we will do with out mango infrequently. End: fairly lengthy, delicate, extra saline and peppery. In spite of everything, it is Ben Nevis. Feedback: our buddies in Asia have turn into, over time, the kings of choosing ‘pure’ casks, bravo!
SGP:561 – 91 factors. |
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One final one earlier than we transfer on to the older vintages…
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Ben Nevis 27 yo 1996/2023 (54.9%, The Whisky Jury, refill hogshead, cask #843, 90 bottles)
The Rembrandts, Vermeers, and Rubenses of the spirit world. Color: Full gold. Nostril: This one’s certain to unite everybody. Assume apricot tarte, mango peel, Meursault (get your pockets prepared), clay, Riesling, recent plastic, Marlboro, crushed slate, oyster mushrooms… With water: white chocolate and Darjeeling. Maybe a touch of salsify, however that’s an acquired style, isn’t it. Mouth (neat): Magical. Great rigidity, apricot eau-de-vie (watch your prussic acid), inexperienced apple, Jamaican rum (fancy that?), lemon, bergamot, and citron liqueurs… With water: touches of chlorophyll (Wrigley’s gum) and skins of banana, mango, and even pear. Polish and cigar ash within the background, reminding us it’s unmistakably Ben Nevis. End: Good size and barely camphoraceous with bitters, amaro, Cynar… Feedback: What extra can I say?
SGP:561 – 91 factors. |
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Alright, we’ll meet once more quickly with older vintages of BN, if that fits you…
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