Should that be Ben Nevises?
Ben Nevis 21yo 1996/2018 (52.9%, Cadenhead Single Cask, 1 x Bourbon Hogshead, 210b): I remember liking this a lot, when it came out
in May, then having a top-up to confirm and being less convinced. What luck to have an opportunity for another go. Nose: a whiff of fruit, not in a particularly good shape -- decaying apples, overripe pears, strawberries past their prime. There is also a more "traditional" Ben Nevis touch, with stagnant water and cured meat. The decaying apple is quite something! It makes me think of a cider fermentation vat. It also has dust and ground stones; quarry dust, in other words. The faintest touch of wood varnish, overripe peaches and old oilskin. The back of the nose is softly peaty, too. At second sniff, the fruit is fresher, more in line with the mouth. Mouth: good balance, with the texture of acacia honey, a pinch of red chilli powder, plums, apricots and candied apples. The fruit is now very pleasant, surprisingly enough. The mouth is coating and sweet, really a mix of honey and fruit. It is as if it were a completely different dram, when compared to the nose! A lick of nail varnish, maybe, but the dominant is that sweetness. Boy! is this sweet. Finish: holy cow! This is a fruit bomb! Assertive kick of yellow plum, apricot and juicy peach, all coated in a wonderful fruit syrup, sweet and softly acidic. That is complemented by a minor note of cedar wood and ginger shavings. Phwoar! What a surprise! The nose made me question my initial impression again, and I was expecting the worst. But this is very, very nice. If only the nose were not almost off-putting, I would score it higher. I now regret not buying it a little. 8/10 (
Thanks for the sample, SW)
Ben Nevis 27yo 1990/2018 (58.9%, Le Gus't Sélection XV, Port Pipe, C#5): I tried (and hated) this in Zürich,
in June, a few days after it was bottled. Nice to try it in more relaxed circumstances. I do not usually comment on the colour, but this is between tawny and frankly pink. It reminds me of the Port-casked Glengoynes from the SMWS. Nose: there seems to be little of the Port influence, here; it is mostly earth and chocolate-coated cherries, which I am all in favour of! That is shortly joined by petrol and lamp oil, then a drinks cabinet from the 1970s -- it contains all sorts of old-school bottles, such as liqueurs and fortified wines, few spirits. A mix of squashed raspberry and crushed walnuts enters the dance, sprinkled with Port. There we go. Later on, the trademark Ben Nevis meat shows up too, taking it down a notch for me. Mouth: the texture is thinner than expected and it has the pinkness of the appearance (whatever that means). Again, it reminds me of the SMWS Glengoynes, with Corsodyl (a pink-looking, antibiotic mouthwash) and diluted fruit juice. Not too agreeable to me, this. It is also rather hot! Anaesthetising, just like Corsodyl is. The colour, the taste, the mouthfeel... All points to the mouthwash, which I am not a fan of. Finish: some nuts, some wine, loads and loads of corks. Old corks, new corks, damaged corks, dry corks, soaked corks, crumbling corks, and a fair amount of spices. I find this awfully cork-y, to the point it seems flawed. It leaves the mouth very dry and a bit bitter, which latter point is actually increased by the minute nuttiness, despite a few dark fruits. This one is really not my thing. I might try it with water
another time. 4/10 (
Thanks for the sample, Steph2A)
Ben Nevis 21yo 1996/2018 (52.9%, Cadenhead Single Cask, 1 x Bourbon Hogshead, 210b): I remember liking this a lot, when it came out in May, then having a top-up to confirm and being less convinced. What luck to have an opportunity for another go. Nose: a whiff of fruit, not in a particularly good shape -- decaying apples, overripe pears, strawberries past their prime. There is also a more "traditional" Ben Nevis touch, with stagnant water and cured meat. The decaying apple is quite something! It makes me think of a cider fermentation vat. It also has dust and ground stones; quarry dust, in other words. The faintest touch of wood varnish, overripe peaches and old oilskin. The back of the nose is softly peaty, too. At second sniff, the fruit is fresher, more in line with the mouth. Mouth: good balance, with the texture of acacia honey, a pinch of red chilli powder, plums, apricots and candied apples. The fruit is now very pleasant, surprisingly enough. The mouth is coating and sweet, really a mix of honey and fruit. It is as if it were a completely different dram, when compared to the nose! A lick of nail varnish, maybe, but the dominant is that sweetness. Boy! is this sweet. Finish: holy cow! This is a fruit bomb! Assertive kick of yellow plum, apricot and juicy peach, all coated in a wonderful fruit syrup, sweet and softly acidic. That is complemented by a minor note of cedar wood and ginger shavings. Phwoar! What a surprise! The nose made me question my initial impression again, and I was expecting the worst. But this is very, very nice. If only the nose were not almost off-putting, I would score it higher. I now regret not buying it a little. 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, SW)
Ben Nevis 27yo 1990/2018 (58.9%, Le Gus't Sélection XV, Port Pipe, C#5): I tried (and hated) this in Zürich, in June, a few days after it was bottled. Nice to try it in more relaxed circumstances. I do not usually comment on the colour, but this is between tawny and frankly pink. It reminds me of the Port-casked Glengoynes from the SMWS. Nose: there seems to be little of the Port influence, here; it is mostly earth and chocolate-coated cherries, which I am all in favour of! That is shortly joined by petrol and lamp oil, then a drinks cabinet from the 1970s -- it contains all sorts of old-school bottles, such as liqueurs and fortified wines, few spirits. A mix of squashed raspberry and crushed walnuts enters the dance, sprinkled with Port. There we go. Later on, the trademark Ben Nevis meat shows up too, taking it down a notch for me. Mouth: the texture is thinner than expected and it has the pinkness of the appearance (whatever that means). Again, it reminds me of the SMWS Glengoynes, with Corsodyl (a pink-looking, antibiotic mouthwash) and diluted fruit juice. Not too agreeable to me, this. It is also rather hot! Anaesthetising, just like Corsodyl is. The colour, the taste, the mouthfeel... All points to the mouthwash, which I am not a fan of. Finish: some nuts, some wine, loads and loads of corks. Old corks, new corks, damaged corks, dry corks, soaked corks, crumbling corks, and a fair amount of spices. I find this awfully cork-y, to the point it seems flawed. It leaves the mouth very dry and a bit bitter, which latter point is actually increased by the minute nuttiness, despite a few dark fruits. This one is really not my thing. I might try it with water another time. 4/10 (Thanks for the sample, Steph2A)
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