Ben Nevis Distillery operates in Fort William in the Highlands and has been owned by Nikka Whisky Distilling of Tokyo since 1989. This 20-year-old single malt distilled in November 1996 matured in a refill oloroso sherry puncheon for two decades before bottling in January 2017 at cask strength of 55.6% ABV. Single Cask Nation released the whisky as part of its first retail outturn, producing 321 bottles with an original price of $95.
The slippery, oily body leads to a lengthy finish, just as sharp as the palate proper, with nutty overtones. An enjoyable and enchanting whisky on the whole.
The aroma, palate and finish are exactly what you should be thinking of when you hear the phrase “sherried single malt”. The sherry is front and center and doesn’t pull any punches, but it’s also balanced and allows more dimensions of the whisky to shine through.
Well, after a promising start on the nose this was a bit of a disappointment: the palate and finish did not live up to the early promise of the nose and nor, for that matter, did the nose.
