31/08/2022 Ben Nevis

Ben Nevis Single Blend 43yo 1970/2013 (44.5%, Speciality Drinks, 300b): let us finish the month with another single blend. Nose: an onslaught of pine liqueur and candied aromatics; génépi, Gocce Pino, candied angelica. It has a rich, almost greasy smell. Oil would be the obvious, yet it is closer to margarine, all things considered, or congealed olive oil (think: Bertolli), borderline vegetable deep-frying fat. No fear to have, however: pine needles are not far away. Perhaps there is a bit of candied orange, or citrus foliage as well. Actually, yes: it turns much waxier than pine needles, after a couple of minutes' breathing, and is now closer to citrus foliage. In my mind, a combination of waxy Kaffir lime leaves and garden rubber hoses. The second nose brings about a more animal touch, without making it meaty or game-y. If anything, it is the shadow of a wild boar in a pine-tree clearing, or a light-footed fox in a citrus-tree plantation. Mouth: ooft! This is aromatherapy. Candied angelica is now the most obvious, but it also has lemon thyme, lovage seeds and clementine leaves. The texture is jelly-like, if not frankly waxy, and pine jelly soon seems to be the clear frontrunner, harking back to Gocce Pino. The second sip welcomes mentholated lime skins, unripe tangerines, juicy alright, but not overtly fruity yet. Each new sip appears increasingly acidic (citric acid) and bitter (kind of leafy), without either of those notes ever becoming unpleasant. Finish: there is a soft milk-chocolate nuance, at this stage, that surreptitiously vanishes to allow pine jelly and candied angelica to shine. It is a long finish, pine-y and mentholated, a finish that leaves the mouth as fresh as a mouthwash, the gums throbbing and revitalised. Repeated sipping adds unsweetened orange jellies, and mint-and-eucalyptus fruit jellies. The death is very much liqueur-like again, verging on toffee, and, if it is not cloying, it certainly coats every taste bud in something a lot sweeter than one might have predicted. Balanced, intriguing, and unique. 8/10 (Thanks for the dram, JS)