Scotland, Western Highlands: Single malt whisky through the producing distilleries: history, making, production and tasting notes
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Ben Nevis

Distillery description Tasting notes

The distillery

For information about the distillery, please click on the photo.

The whisky

  • A propos des notes de dégustation Your own tasting notes
Ben Nevis: official bottlings

Ben-Nevis

10 years
Age
 10 years
Alcohol percentage
 46,0 %
Bottler
 Official
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links & average quote
 77/100
Ben Nevis 10

A malt in the tradition of peaty Highland malts...
The nose is full, and reveals clearly smells of citrus oil and cigar smoke.
The impression in the palate is heavy and warm, due to the alcohol. Smoke is present and lets emerge some orange, chocolate and tarry phenol hints.

(la Maison du Whisky)

Ben Nevis is one of the only distilleries from Western Scotland. The whisky is malted with strong chocolate hints. It certainly is not my preferred, but it is rather pleasant, and is on its place in each collection of good malts.
70/100
A second tasting confirmed the malted and chocolaty character of this malt. Strong peaty hints are also detected, and this bottling is rather pleasant, with a long finish, marked by grilled malt.
74/100
The nose is mainly marked by cereals, with nice spicy notes, however not very complex. The palate is quite pleasant, spicy with chocolate hints, but again a lack of complexity. The finish is nice, long and remaining in the cereal and chocolate notes.
74/100
The nose is clearly on the malt with a touch of yeast. Some light touches of chocolate as well. After a while some nice fruity notes appear, even if they remain discrete.
The very first mouth is fruity. Pleasant and smooth, refined while it does not hide its strength. Here also chocolate is present.
The finish is quite pleasant as well, lingering and here also chocolate seems to dominate malt.
I appreciated this whisky much more than during my previous tastings, even if the bottle is opened since many years...
84/100
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Ben-Nevis

26 years
Age
 26 years
Alcohol percentage
 54,2 %
Bottler
 Official
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 81/100
Ben Nevis 1975 26 years

The nose is first rather promising even though it is clearly dominated by some acid hints. Something between the freshness of cut grass and sweet lemon. Orange peal? A slightly woody fragrance on the background. In the palate, the presence of alcohol is evident, but not disturbing. A kind of complexity, with however still the citrus fruits hints, on a background of malt and wood. The finish is long and recalls clearly malt with some chocolate touches.
79/100
The nose is fresh and complex, mixing some dominant but rather flat citrus smells to liquorice and spicy note, and even some cocoa touches. In the mouth, a kind of woody acidity seems to be dominant, and leaves little room for other impressions, but may by those of a strong alcohol presence. The finish is rather long, but not very special, and recalls the acid character of the whole, and after a while, some discrete woody notes appear.
79/100
The nose is both pleasantly spiced (pepper) and remarkably fresh. Mint and green apple.
The first mouth is quite acid, fresh and remains as peppery as the nose was. Nice complexity, developing gradually an green fruit tastes then on smoother notes. Hazelnut and exotic fruit.
The finish is long and remains fresh, prolonging perfectly the nose and mouth impressions.
88/100
A nose clearly marked by pepper and interesting hints of wet hay. Green apple and something smelling like cut grass, but with some sweeter fragrances.
The mouth is really impression, mix of pear spirit and quite smooth malty hints on one hand and clear acid hints on the other hand. Powerful and fresh. Excellent impression.
The finish is quirt long and an aftertaste consisting of both unripe fruit and malt prolongs the pleasure for a while. Very good whisky, but very amazing as well.
84/100

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embouteilleurs indépendants: ben Nevis

Ben-Nevis

Cask Strength Collection 1992
Collection
 Cask strength Collection
Age
 14 years
Alcohol percentage
 55,8 %
Bottler
 Signatory
Cask
 first fill sherry butt
Cask number
single cask 2301
Dates
 Distil: 03-07-1992 Bottling: 16--2-2007
Bottle
 371 of 733 btls
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 79/100
A extraordinary perfumed nose. Clear hints of dominating citrus fruits.
In the palate, this whisky is not nicely balanced. It is very acid. Green lemon notes with some bitter hints behind.
Finish is lingering and marked by alcohol and the acid notes keep present.
79/100
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Ben-Nevis

1996
Collection
 Eilan Gillan
Age
 No age statement
Alcohol percentage
 46 %
Bottler
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 0/100
Ben Nevis Eilan Gillan 1996
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Ben Nevis: samples

Ben-Nevis

Taste Still 1990
Collection
 Taste Still Selection
Age
 15 years
Alcohol percentage
 58,3 %
Bottler
 Taste Still
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 84/100
Ben Nevis 1990 Taste Still

The nose is quite discrete, betwen fruity and floral. Some peach and mango hints, with a general impression of sweetness which emerge from the whole. After a while, coconut hints seem to be clearly present. In the palate, a pleasant mix of bitterness and smoothness, very amazing. Bitter exotic fruits, making room for a malty sweetness. The percentage of alcohol does not hinder at all. Smoothness and complexity characterize this malt. A rather long finish, where the memory of this sweet-bitter mix continues for minutes. A nice surprise.
84/100
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Ben-Nevis

Ben Nevis 12 years
Collection
 Le Puits ŕ Whisky
Age
 12 years
Alcohol percentage
 43,0 %
Bottler
 Jean Boyer
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 79/100
A discrete but pleasant fruity nose. Ripe fruit, pear and banana.
The palate perfectly follows the nose impressions. One could regret the lack at punch. A few more percents of alcohol could have been very valuable. No complexity but no flaw neither.
Quite al long finish, just prolonging nose and mouth.
79/100
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Ben-Nevis

1996, sherry hogshead
Age
 13 years
Alcohol percentage
 57,1 %
Bottler
 Malts of Scotland
Cask
 Sherry Hogshead
Cask number
single cask 14666
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 84/100
Ben Nevis MOS
Pleasant fruity nose with malty notes and a touch of acidity behind the sweet hints of ripe fruit. Some farmy or undergrowth notes.
The palate is especially pleasant with its chocolate notes added to the fruity nose. Even it is very pleasant to drink with its nice warm notes, this whisky is not very complex. Rather monolithic but it remains very pleasant.
The finish is lingering and warm and chocolate is the most relevant character here.
84/100
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Ben-Nevis

Best Casks of Scotland

Collection
 Best casks of Scotland
Age
 11 years
Alcohol percentage
 43 %
Bottler
 Jean Boyer
Dates
 Distil: 1997 Bottling: 2008
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 81/100
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Ben-Nevis

45 years
Collection
 The Maltman
Age
 45 years
Alcohol percentage
 40,6 %
Bottler
 Meadowside (The Maltman)
Particularity
 Non chillfiltered cask strength
links & average quote
 90/100
Ben Nevis Meadowside

Color: Gold
A nose of exceptional complexity. Ripe fruit, wax, sherry, green fruits ... All these scents blend together in a very nice balance. A very promising nose.
The palate is soft and pleasant. Here too the complexity is there. Both the fresh, surprising for a whisky of this age, and a beautiful palette of tastes. The fruit is present, albeit more discreetly than in the nose. The mouth is also very balanced. However, the mouth is slightly set back relative to the nose.
The finish is long and extremely enjoyable. Here also the complexity and balance perfectly characterize this delightful whisky.
90/100
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Ben-Nevis

Distilled 1996, Limietd Edition
Collection
 Barrel Selection
Age
 No age statement
Alcohol percentage
 48 %
Bottler
 Wilson & Morgan
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links & average quote
 0/100
Ben Nevis 1996 WM
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Ben Nevis: not in collection

Ben-Nevis

Cask Strength Collection 15 years old
Collection
 Cask strength Collection
Age
 15 years
Alcohol percentage
 56,6 %
Bottler
 Signatory
Cask
 Sherry butt
Cask number
single cask 2304
Dates
 Distil: 07-1992 Bottling: 03-2008
Bottle
 738 btls
Particularity
 Non chillfiltered cask strength
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links & average quote
 Forum 83/100
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Ben-Nevis

32 years
Age
 32 years
Alcohol percentage
 45,8 %
Bottler
 Official
links & average quote
 74/100
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