Nikka Session, a world blended malt

Nikka's blends and vattings have held more than just Japanese ingredients for a long time, at least since their parent company, Asahi, purchased the Ben Nevis distillery in 1989. It wasn't until 2020 that they finally outed one of their creations as "world" whisky, just like their main competitor, Suntory, did the previous year.

Nikka Session mixes Yoichi, Miyagikyo, and Ben Nevis malts, and three fine malts those are. The label has a bit of a Vegas gentleman's club feel to it, which is......a thing. The whisky has been chillfiltered and reduced to 43%abv. It's probably been colored too but much less so than yesterday's grain. Was Nikka trying to create a "session" whisky like a session beer, something that can be casually consumed in quantity over an evening (or morning)? And isn't that what most major blends aim to do? Or maybe it's referring to a music session, or a therapy session. Or all of the above?

Sláinte + Kanpai = Sláin-pai

Ownership: Nikka

Type: Blended malt

Regions: Japan and Scotland

Distilleries: Miyagikyo, Yoichi, and Ben Nevis

Age: ???

Maturation: ???

Alcohol by Volume: 43%

(thank you, Doctors Springbank!)

NOTES

Lemon blossoms, fennel seeds, and ginger snap cookies lead the nose, followed by bread and kiwi juice. Its vanilla note grows with time. The palate starts off light and floral, with a pretty note of passionfruit candy. Mild bitter, sea salt, and chile oil notes help mellow the sweetness for a while, but can't keep the sugar down forever, especially once the toasted oak spices arrive. It concludes with white peaches, brown sugar, and a slight sourness.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Indeed, Nikka Session is an easy drinker. One could overpour this onto a big ice cube and drink it mindlessly. So the whisky probably achieved its purpose; as in, it could get someone terrifyingly drunk via fewer calories than session beers. I don't think I could have picked out the Yoichi or Ben Nevis, rather it seems like a young, diluted, slightly oaky Miyagikyo. Not bad, not great, and if it's still going for its SRP in Japan then the price is right.

Availability - Mostly Japan, and a few dozen retailers in Europe and USA
Pricing - it was in the $30s in Japan, but now $100-$200 in The West
Rating - 80

Bea's Birthday Booze: Ben Nevis 25 year old 1984, cask 98/35/13

My previous Ben Nevis review posted to this site 361 days ago. In honor of my daughter Beatrice's fifth birthday, I reviewed a 25 year old official Ben Nevis single cask (98/35/1) that was distilled in 1984.

Today, in honor of Beatrice's sixth birthday, I am reviewing a 25 year old official Ben Nevis single cask (98/35/13) that was distilled in 1984.

There were at least six single casks from this parcel, each receiving the same re-racking treatment. Distilled in December 1984, the spirit was deposited into bourbon casks, in which it baked until October 1998 when the whisky was then poured ("vatted" per the labels) into sherry casks, where it continued to mature until bottling time.

With 13+ years in bourbon casks and 11+ years in sherry casks, 98/35/1 and 98/35/13 had true double maturations. 98/35/1 was cask-heavy, but never tannic. I hope for something similar or better from 98/35/13. The whiskybase community certainly adores this cask.

Damn good photo if I do say so my damn self

Distillery: Ben Nevis
Region: Highlands (Western)
Age: 25 years old (December 1984 - May 2010)
Maturation: Bourbon: Dec 1984 - October 1998; then Sherry: October 1998 - May 2010
Cask #: 98/35/13
Outturn: 638 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 55.4%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

Yeah, the nose is probably 90% cask, but it's very nice. Dried cherries in very dark chocolate. Dried mango and a few figs. Maple and grape jam. In the background: a dunnage by the ocean. The palate is warm and toasty, with plenty of oak spice up front. Raspberries, oranges, walnuts, dark grapes, and honey fill the midground......then a burst of xocolatl, Mexican chocolate, takes over, full of cinnamon and chiles. That big note remains through the long finish, with limes and grapes in the background.

DILUTED to ~46%abv, or 1¼ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

The nose begins with raisins, toffee, milkier chocolate, and a hint of dunnage. As the water integrates, out come nectarines, orange blossoms, and some Jamaican rum-style dunder. The cask gets heavier in the palate. All oak spices and Mexican chocolate until it suddenly changes. And there it is: strange organic peat mouldering in a damp basement. Yes! It finishes tangy, full of chiles, lightly smoky, and with a few nectarines tossed in.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Twice the palate shifts colors, dramatically. With the Ben Nevis diluted to 46%abv, its wonderful eccentricity materializes out of nowhere, like a koan instantly manifesting a truth long hidden. When the whisky is at its full strength, the raucous Mexican chocolate spontaneously blasts through everything around it. Like the Kool-Aid Man. Oh yeah.

This is the better cask. I have nothing else to add.

Availability - Secondary market
Pricing - !!!!
Rating - 90

Bea's Birthday Booze: Ben Nevis 25 year old 1984, cask 98/35/1

With today's review, Ben Nevis ties Bowmore for the distillery with the second-most posts on this site. (Springbank holds the top spot, though it does fall behind the killer Bs if I subtract Longrows and Hazelburns.) Huzzah for Ben Nevis!

This will be the oldest official bottling, and only the second 1980s, Ben Nevis I've ever tried. The previous '80s BN wasn't particularly great, and that distillery had some weird decades before Asahi/Nikka stepped in to fix up the joint in the 1990s. So I have no idea what this 25yo will taste like.

But I am interested in its double maturation, with 13+ years in bourbon casks and 11+ years in one sherry butt. The distillery did this with at least a half dozen 1984s. Ben Nevis tends to have very good sherry casks, so perhaps the management rescued some hoggies that weren't punching their weight.

Time to see if it worked.

Distillery: Ben Nevis
Region: Highlands (Western)
Age: 25 years old (December 1984 - January 2010)
Maturation: Bourbon: Dec 1984 - October 1998; then Sherry: October 1998 - January 2010
Cask #: 98/35/1
Outturn: 628 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 56.0%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

It's a chocolatey baking-spicy sherry cask, in the nose at least. Earth, oats, gunpowder caps, cow manure and saline fill in the rest. It's a party, and it's bumpin'. The palate, though, is slightly soapy and dusty. Oranges, limes, chocolate and cherry lollies arrive later. Some salt and fabric in the background. But that soap note never leaves. It does mutate into an OBE type note in the finish, though tangy citrus, bitter chocolate, and a lot of sweetness almost cover it up.

DILUTED to ~46%abv, or 1¼ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

The nose becomes mellower and better integrated. Toffee pudding, pipe tobacco and milk chocolate merge with tangerines and limes. Citrus takes the forefront in the palate, with the soap being pushed into the distance. Talcum powder, herbal bitterness and burlap linger around the edges. A good balance of tart, sweet and gentle smoke stay in the midground. The soap eventually vanishes. That same mix of tart, sweet and smoke stays through the finish.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

I'll try to accentuate the positives. Though the cask flexes its muscle fibers, the whisky isn't Oaky. I'm always a sucker for citrus + smoke (see Ardmore, well-aged Longrow, some Caol Ilas, etc.), and the diluted palate delivers that very thing. This cask never reaches the quality of Nevis's Naughty Nineties but it's still pretty darn good, especially once air and water wash the soap away.

Availability - Secondary market?
Pricing - ???
Rating - 87 (diluted)

Ben Nevis 9 year old 2011 Signatory, cask 142 for SoCal Wine & Spirits

You may look at this whisky's ABV and say, "Diving for Pearls, why are you doing this to yourself again?" I have three answers:

1. Because I love you.
2. Because Wednesday's Ben Nevis needed a sparring partner.
3. Because some old whisky buddies of mine helped pick the cask, and I missed out on a bottle because I live out here in *uckeye country.

And this whisky is 50% older than Wednesday's creature. And Signatory. And it is 7% (or 4.4 alcohol percentage points) lighter. And And And.

Distillery: Ben Nevis
Region: Highlands (Western)
Independent Bottler: Signatory
Age: 9 years old (4 May 2011 to 15 May 2020)
Maturation: bourbon barrel
Cask #: 142
Outturn: 229 bottles
Exclusive to: SoCal Wine & Spirits
Alcohol by Volume: 63.2%
(from a bottle split)

NOTES

Once again I'm starting with a diluted version because I value my tastebuds, somewhat.

At first, the 50%abv version is all malt and alcohol on the nose, but after a few minutes some anise and savory broth notes appear. Then comes dessert: marshmallows and caramel sauce. It smells quite a bit different at full strength. It's mostly pears, peach skin and lots of flowers, with hints of bread and caramel in the background.

At 50%abv, the palate registers simply, with barley, salt, sugar, tart apples and champagne vinegar. There's more complexity at full strength. Sweet apples meet tart lemon juice; malt merges with a gentle herbal bitterness.

The finish matches the palate at 50%abv, while at cask strength the finish gets a little bit sweeter and maltier.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

While this Ben Nevis does come across as a young whisky, it's no stunt release. Its cask plays less violently than Wednesday's, even though it was much smaller, so we're getting a nice close glimpse at a very polite Ben Nevis spirit. I still would've loved to have tried this at twice its age to see if it turned into one of those lovely fruity Nevii I do adore.

Much like the 6yo, this 9yo was much better when neat. All of the high proof baby whiskies I've tried recently have struggled once diluted, which makes them feel even more undercooked. As per my spreadsheet I have only 3 more scotch samples that are over 63%abv. I think I'll get them all out of the way this year.

Availability - Sold out, I think...
Pricing - ???
Rating - 81 (neat only)

Ben Nevis 6 year old 2013 Single Cask Nation, 67.6%ABV

Monday: a Ben Nevis that I totally get and adore.
Today: not Monday's whisky

Six years in a first fill amontillado butt resulted in 754 bottles of 67.6%abv Ben Nevis. Those aren't typos.

I am not a high-ABV fan when it comes to scotch, and this is the second-strongest single malt I've ever tried. I wouldn't have given it a go had it not been Ben Nevis. But it is and so I did. I coated my esophagus with lard beforehand so the poison could safely slide right down.

Distillery: Ben Nevis
Region: Highlands (Western)
Independent Bottler: Single Cask Nation
Age: 6 years old (Dec 2013 to Sep 2020)
Maturation: first fill amontillado butt
Cask #: 1278
Outturn: 754 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 67.6%
(from a bottle split)

NOTES

I'm starting with a diluted version because.

The nose is extra dirty at a diluted 50%abv, and I love dirty sherry casks, but this is something else. It's like a mix of burnt bark, hot rubber and urine. It's almost peaty. Somewhere behind the filth awaits a spoonful of raspberry jam. It's similar at full strength, though more closed. Burnt rubber, piss and pears up front, wet sand and marzipan in the back.

The palate reads cleaner than the nose at 50%abv. There are apples, black raisins, balsamic vinegar and plenty of woody bitterness. It develops notes of vinyl and earth with time. It is surprisingly drinkable at full strength, though quite hot, of course. Tart and tangy notes take up most of the space, with touches of salt and raisins in the background.

At 50%abv, the finish is all tannins, rubber and black raisins. It's a little sweeter and less tannic at cask strength, with a little bit of tart apples in the way back.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Though I have avoided do thus so far, I am now going to use a word that makes some men uncomfortable. Sulfur. This is a sulfurous whisky, especially on the nose. Element S is not a dealbreaker for me, but a whisky has to have something to join S, counter it, frame it, or offset it. The nose does not have that. The palate has Aggro Cask going on, but that's not a plus. This did work better at full strength, where the tartness shines (or burns), but I'm not sure how much of this can be consumed comfortably in one sitting. I don't know. It's difficult to see a 754-bottle, 67.6%abv, sulfurous 6-year-old as anything but a stunt release. It did sell through though. What an age we live in.

Availability - Sold out (USA)
Pricing - maybe around $90
Rating - 72 (neat only)

Ben Nevis 19 year old 1996, private cask 1424

Private cask of Ben Nevis?!?!?! #lifegoals. But a private cask of Ben Nevis now probably requires $100K of extra walkin' around money. Also #lifegoals. I'm not sure to whom cask 1424 belonged, but its contents seemed to have travelled all over the world: to Serge, to a few dozen whiskybase members, and The Whisky Show 2021. Though 1990s Ben Nevis sherry casks are the rage (for good reason), #1424 seems to have been a former bourbon vessel...

Distillery: Ben Nevis
Region: Highlands (Western)
Age: at least 19 years old (1996 - ????)

Maturation: ???
Cask #: 1424
Outturn: ??? bottles

Cask Owner: ???
Alcohol by Volume: 51.8%
(from a bottle split)

NOTES

The nose has chalk, wax, citronella and something coastal up front. Then comes the barley, apple skins, lychee and pineapple. Diluting the whisky to 46%abv tightens the nose's focus to lychee, pineapple, chalk and peaches.

Great mouthfeel here. Pineapple, guava and lemongrass arrive first in the palate. After 30 minutes minerals and herbal bitterness provide excellent dimension and balance. But 46%abv is where it's at. It becomes herbal, leafy, mineral, very tart, and almost smoky. Limes, peaches and lemongrass ripple beneath.

It finishes with bitter herbs smothered in wax. Limes and lemongrass hold on endlessly. At 46%abv, it finishes with minerals, limes and lemongrass. It's gloriously tart.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

I can tell why certain wax-loving enthusiasts have befouled their britches over this whisky. It may be waxier than any modern Clynelish I've had. The merging of the wax with the minerals, herbs and fruits elevates it for me. This must have been a lovely bottle (let alone cask!) to have. Enjoy and share, all you lucky ducks out there!

Availability - Secondary market, maybe
Pricing - I don't want to know
Rating - 90

Ben Nevis 32 year old 1971 Blackadder, cask 1626

Anniversary Week turned out a little wonky, so I've switched out today's planned pour for something that will either be weird or wonderful — frankly, I'll be happy with weird at this point — or both: a '71 Ben Nevis. I chose a diluted 26yo Ben Nevis as its sparring partner because I'm living large, y'all. Here it goes...

Distillery: Ben Nevis
Region: Highlands (Western)

Independent Bottler: Blackadder
Age: 32 years old (23 March 1971 - September 2003)

Maturation: oak hogshead

Cask #: 1626

Outturn: 296 bottles

Alcohol by Volume: 45%
(sample from a bottle split)

NOTES

Ah, good news. The whisky got its Weird on, right at the start. The nose has its saline, toasted seaweed, elephant dung side. But it also has its malty, Yoo-hoo, raisin bran side. Fresh cut fennel and apricot jam keep their distance in the background.

The palate is a bit odd, but also rather flat. Worcestershire sauce, prunes and black pepper start things off. Some armagnac eau de vie, bitter chocolate and rubber move forward. Bananas and pumpernickel sit in the middle. At the 45 minute mark it shifts to a one-note bitterness.

It finishes with bitter chocolate. black pepper, rubber, sea salt and red grapes, with just a hint of cabbage in the back.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

It was indeed a little weird. But. None of the nose's interesting aspects carried into the palate. I'm not sure if this was a tired ex-sherry hoggie, or it was too aggressively diluted by bottler, but I kept waiting and waiting and waiting for the whisky to shift gears, and when it finally did that gear turned out only to be a generic oaky bitterness. I could have also done without the whole salty rubber thing. Ultimately this resulted in the consumption of more of the 26yo competitor. Oh well, it's time to switch back to the Highland Park cluster!

Availability - Secondary market
Pricing - ????

Rating - 81 (the nose kept this score up)

Ben Nevis 26 year old 1991 Signatory, cask 2377 (my bottle)

I'm so used to Ben Nevis's quirky industrial funk notes, that I've been caught off-guard by their near absence in these 16 whiskies. There has been just a little bit of the peated note I often find in BN's single malts, though it has tilted toward the earth and farm part of the spectrum rather than smoke. On the other hand, the sherry casks have been very very fruity and that makes me very very happy. Only one big sherry bomb. And, overall, only one outright turd. I deem this a successful depletion of my whisky deposits.

But I'm also trying to figure out whether this process was exhausting or was it the surrounding non-whisky life that left me fatigued. This sort of whisky journey may work better over one or two crazy nights for some folks. My system can no longer take that level of punishment which is why I do these month-long explorations. Joys and weariness aside, I say you shouldn't expect to see any Ben Nevis reviews here for the next 8-10 months. I have been Ben Nevissed.

To conclude:

Distillery: Ben Nevis
Region: Highlands (Western)
Independent Bottler: Signatory Vintage
Range: Cask Strength
Age: 26 years (5 July 1991 to 30 Nov 2017)
Maturation: sherry butt
Bottles: 599
Cask: 2377
Alcohol by Volume: 57.3%
(from my bottle)

The nose begins with industrial funk and peat smoke (of course it does), followed by peach skins, dried apricots and molasses. The loudest longest notes are those of almonds, lemon peels and ocean water. It gets earthier with time. Once reduced to 46%abv, the whisky shifts to wood smoke, molasses chews, oregano and fresh cut grass. Still some lemon peels and toasted almonds in the background.

The palate takes some time to appear. Once it does it reveals a mix of stones, salt and well-aged calvados. Then lemons, dried apricots and a hint of pastry dough. It gets sweeter and figgier with time. Though I'd expected the palate to open up further with the whisky diluted to 46%abv, it doesn't really do so. It gets drier, more tannic. Bits of dried apples and apricots, limes and roses.

It finishes mildly sweet, earthy and mineral. Apricots, soot and lemonade. More citrus appears once the whisky is diluted to 46%abv, especially on limes. A few roses. Not much else.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
This was the austere one of the bunch. It's probably technically sterling, but stirs up little in the way of excitement. I've sipped it twice more since this sitting, and it makes for a great casual drink. Perhaps it would have garnered more raves had it been part of a lesser tasting but, aye, there's the burden in being a Ben Nevis sherry butt. So it goes. Maybe one more pour.

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - around €170-180 in late 2018
Rating - 87 (neat)

Ben Nevis 25 year old 1991 Signatory, cask 2915

Down to the final two Ben Nevisseses reviews, one from a bottle split, one from my bottle. This one spent a quarter century in a sherry butt yet still weighs in at 58.4%abv. I loved its sibling cask, 2914, and I'm running out of intro words. This has been an honor and a romance and a burden to my liver. Cheers.

Distillery: Ben Nevis
Region: Highlands (Western)
Independent Bottler: Signatory Vintage
Range: Cask Strength
Age: 25 years (16 August 1991 to 13 September 2016)
Maturation: sherry butt
Bottles: 573
Cask: 2915
Alcohol by Volume: 58.4%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT
The nose on this one is very earthy, occasionally piney, with blasts of coal smoke and youthful peat. After 30 minutes, notes of limes, plum wine and dunnage arise. The palate begins with an intense combination of metals and yellow stone fruits. It's tangy, salty and mineral(ly) with bits of walnuts, black walnuts, pecans and limes. It has the most metallic finish I've ever encountered. It's also very salty, slightly tangy with a hint of tart plums.

DILUTED TO ~46%abv, or 1½ tsp of water per 30mL whisky
It's a different whisky now. The nose holds oranges, limes and mango ("yeah" per my notes). There's a dense nuttiness to it, along with a whiff of musty old sherry cask. Then some hints of dusty dead leaves and flower blossoms. The palate keeps its mineral and tart fruit notes, releasing the metals and picking up some umami. The finish is also much less metallic. It's tangier and sweeter, with a little bit of umami.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
Each of these Signatory sherry butts is its own creature. This one was trending towards Mechagodzilla, and I'm not sure how I feel about that. My take on metallic notes isn't, um, ironclad. I can appreciate that type of characteristic as part of a larger complex whole, but here the metals were way up front. Had they been lighter the rest of the whisky's characteristics could shine and/or balance. Adding water certainly helped. It seemed to mature the whisky. The umami edge was nice and the nose proved excellent. And there was less metal. It's very good whisky, but it's in the shadows of the three previous sherry butts.

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - somewhere around €175-€200 back when it was available
Rating - 85 (with water)

Ben Nevis 24 year old 1991 Signatory, cask 3834 (my bottle)

The sherry cask single malts continue to dominate this series, and three (including this one) remain. Proceeding through the 1991 Signatory sequence, I offer up this 24 year old Ben Nevis from my stash. Its sibling cask #3833 was dynamite. I hope this streak continues...

Distillery: Ben Nevis
Region: Highlands (Western)
Independent Bottler: Signatory Vintage
Range: Cask Strength
Age: 24 years (29 October 1991 to 18 July 2016)
Maturation: sherry butt
Bottles: 585
Cask: 3834
Alcohol by Volume: 55.7%
(from my bottle)

The nose begins with a combination of dried leaves, yuzu, citronella and carob. After 20 minutes it picks up notes of leather, honey and white peaches, as well as a medicinal peaty note and smoked salmon. Once the whisky is diluted to 46%abv, the peaches move to the forefront, with brine, moss, grass, lime juice and yuzu behind it.

The crazy wonderful palate has deeply funky juicy tropical fruit, asian citrus (yuzu and kabosu), loquats and watermelon juice. Honey (manuka?), a cocoa-loaded mole sauce and a bright fermented note. With the whisky diluted to 46%abv, the palate becomes milder, sweeter and slightly smokier. All the sweetness comes from the citrus and honey, then a nice bitter belt rolls in.

The finish matches the palate. Thank goodness. With the whisky diluted to 46%abv, it finishes honied and creamy with a balance of citrus, tropical fruits and herbal bitterness.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

I adore this whisky's strange palate, though I'm not sure it's for everyone. That doesn't make me a better person (it does) but I am glad to have a lot more of this whisky waiting for me. Not only does it have all the fun fruit, but it also brings the most distinct peat notes of the three Signatories so far, resulting in a unique single malt that could only have started its existence at the Ben Nevis distillery.

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - somewhere around €150 back in 2017
Rating - 91

Ben Nevis 23 year old 1991 Signatory, cask 2914

Beatrice turns three years old today. I thought I knew the The Terrible Twos. I did not know the Terrible Twos. Though her comedic cuddly side emerges from the Destructo-Bot wrath for a moment as if to say, "Don't worry, I'm still in here!" I do wish it we'd see it more. Our duets before bedtime — sometimes we sing What a Wonderful World in a loop, slipping into a trance so the words almost sound believable — are the most fulfilling moments of my day. Each night her voice lifts mine. But being a parent navigating her emotions and those of her older sister, who's struggling even more than her parents in the time of COVID, has been a lot. Just a lot. No one's having as much as they used to.

To honor this experience I am going to drink a lot reviewing five Ben Nevises this week from Signatory's extensive 1991 parcel of BN sherry butts. Three of the reviews are from my own bottles, starting with yesterday's excellent 22 year old. Here's a 23 year old from a bottle split.

Distillery: Ben Nevis
Region: Highlands (Western)
Independent Bottler: Signatory Vintage
Range: Cask Strength
Age: 23 years (16 August 1991 to 16 January 2015)
Maturation: sherry butt
Bottles: 571
Cask: 2914
Alcohol by Volume: 56.3%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT
On the nose there are guava and mango purees, dusty library shelves, citron peels, damp moss, ocean air and a dense funky veg note I've never come across before. The silky mouthfeel gives way to a palate loaded with mangoes and kabosu (tart!), black walnuts and fresh mushrooms, then minerals, citrus and almonds. It finishes with an even bigger mineral note that goes well with the tropical fruits, as well as some soil, mushrooms and black walnuts.

DILUTED TO ~46%abv, or 1¼ tsp of water per 30mL whisky
The nose picks up more farm and dunnage notes, followed by peaches, butterscotch and cinnamon, then almond extract and damp moss. The palate gets fruitier somehow. Plums, melons, limes and peaches. Yet it's not too sweet, as its tartness and saltiness bring balance. The fruit gets tangier in the finish, while hints of cigar smoke and black walnuts appear.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
We already entering a whole 'nother plane with these 1991s. I'm doing everything I can to not drop F-bombs to illustrate my enthusiasm for this one. Add water, don't add water, whatever, man. This is a gem. I'm so glad I got to review this on Sweet Bea's birthday!

Availability - Probably sold out
Pricing - somewhere around €200 in 2015
Rating - 91

Ben Nevis 22 year old 1991 Signatory, cask 2382 (my bottle)

I am reviewing FIVE Ben Nevises this week, five very specific Ben Nevii. I'll explain why tomorrow. Let's just get this started.

You've clearly heard enough about the 1996 vintage. How about Signatory's 1991 goldmine? I'm going to review 22yo, 23yo, 24yo, 25yo and 26yo sherry butts from that parcel, three of which are from my own bottles, including today's 22.

Distillery: Ben Nevis
Region: Highlands (Western)
Independent Bottler: Signatory Vintage
Range: Cask Strength
Age: 22 years (5 July 1991 to 2 July 2014, three days short of 23 years)
Maturation: sherry butt
Bottles: 633
Cask: 2382
Alcohol by Volume: 58.3%
(from my bottle)

The nose changes with every sniff. Nuts, then tar, then dried berries, then moss, then honey and roses. Hints of marzipan and cherry juice appear frequently. After 30 minutes it takes a cool funky turn, reading like a combination of dates, toffee and a super dusty (pre-war?) scotch. When the whisky is diluted to 46%abv, the nose shifts to orange peels, lemon peels, smoked dates (if that's a thing), old newspapers and dunnage.

The palate is full of citrus and salt, figs and manure, dark chocolate and dried raspberries. It gets very sooty and earthy with time, without ever losing the citrus and figs. When the whisky is diluted to 46%abv, it gains the neat nose's dusty whisky funk, full of musty basements and dunnages. It's also very tangy, loaded with pepper oils and tart oranges.

It finishes with loads of citrus and a vibrant tartness. The figs and salt hang on, as does a hint of dark chocolate. It gets earthier and bitterer with time. When the whisky is diluted to 46%abv, the finish mirrors the palate, making it feel like something that's been sitting in a bottle for the better part of a century.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
Two elements elevate this whisky.

1. I'm a sucker for whiskies with either citrus or fig notes, this one has gorgeous combination of both.
2. This whisky has an old fusty musty dusty note that I've experienced in a few other Ben Nevises. I can't explain it — something to do with the Brewer's Yeast, perhaps? — but goodness, I love it.

A great start!

Availability - I bought this bottle at Edradour distillery in 2016, so it's probably sold out
Pricing - around $140 at the time
Rating - 90

Ben Nevis 23 year old 1996 Single Malts of Scotland, cask 1479

The sherry casks are killing it, with the first three easily topping the seven Ben Nevises that preceded them. The last of the 1996s from this five-week run, this whisky was released in the United States *gasp*  this year *double gasp*. Elixir Distillers seems to have quite the cask stash of '96 Nevises, with at least 15 bottled so far. And I just realized I've already reviewed three of them, scores ranging from 87 to 91, with this Whisky Trail Birds bottling placing Best in Show. Time for another!

Distillery: Ben Nevis
Region: Highlands (Western)
Independent Bottler: Elixir Distillers
Range: Single Malts of Scotland
Age: 23 years old (21 October 1996 - 1 November 2019)
Maturation: sherry butt
Cask #: 1479
Outturn: 405 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 52.7%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT
The nose leads off with fudge, ocean and barrel char(!). Then peach liqueur, flower blossoms and lychee candy. Smaller notes of old books, eucalyptus, mint extract and saline drift in and out. The palate is very tannic, yet also very fruity. Woody bitterness and pu-erh tea. Yellow nectarines and peach juice. Almond cookies and amaretto. It gets saltier with time. The finish is enormously tannic, full of green woody bitterness with smaller notes of peaches, roses, hops and sea salt in the background.

DILUTED TO ~46%abv, or < 1 tsp of water per 30mL whisky
The nose gets fruitier and more floral. The oak shifts towards toasted notes. And there's a quirky OBE-like note in the back. The bitter tannins shift to creamy vanilla in the super dessert-y palate. Some dried apricots, canned peaches and ink. The bitterness returns, mildly, in the finish, with the palate's vanilla, apricots and ink remaining.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
I'm not sure if the cask was heavily-charred or re-charred or revamped or reactivated or rehabilitated. In any case it has produced a very oaky whisky, which is a shame because there are some good fruit notes that are almost hidden beneath the wood. Dilution lifts up the better notes and calms the oak. Still, when compared with the previous three sherry cask Nevises, it falls short of their balance, depth and distinctiveness. Yet Angus and Ruben each gave it a 90, and whiskybase weighs in at 89.33 as of today, so this style is clearly loved by others.

Availability - Several US specialty retailers
Pricing - $230-$260
Rating - 84 (with water, closer to 80 when neat)

Ben Nevis 21 year old 1996 Whisky Doris, cask 2028

Whisky Doris is batting 1.000 for me. I mean I've had only four of their bottlings but each was a gem. That's why I figuratively jumped for joy when I saw a retailer slinging a single sherry cask Ben Nevis from the W.D. And it wasn't one of their unfortunate nudie labels, but rather the classic monochrome style. But between the time I clicked on Add to Cart and the fraction-of-a-second that it should have hit my cart ...... it sold out. That felt like some Ticketmaster bullshit right there.

Anyway, I got in on a bottle split less than a year later. Yippee!

Distillery: Ben Nevis
Region: Highlands (Western)
Independent Bottler: Whisky Doris
Age: 21 years old (November 1996 to April 2018)
Maturation: refill sherry butt
Cask #: 2028
Outturn: 299 bottles (possibly a cask split)
Alcohol by Volume: 52.2%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT
The nose balances walnuts, cherry juice, wasabi, old books, dunnage and dirty hay with hints of peat smoke, plum wine and milk chocolate remarkably. The palate shows nuts and salt in the middle, stone fruits and mossy smoke around the edges. Then dark chocolate, bitter herbs, Thai chiles and toasted almonds ease in with time. It finishes with walnuts, almonds, moss, salt and a hint of the nose's cherry juice.

DILUTED TO ~46%abv, or ¾ tsp of water per 30mL whisky
The nose becomes funkier, peatier, farmier, but also picks up some pecans, apricots and lychee. The palate is now super nutty: think almonds, cashews and pecans. There's also some ginger, apple skins, lemon juice, salt and pepper oil. The finish matches the palate, but a with little more farm.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
The nose is perfect. I don't know how this is done, and sometimes it seems like this capability escapes most bottlers. One can assume proper cask management has something to do with it. Add in some dumb luck, great storage and someone with a good nose. The palate is very good too, but that nose though. This is one of the rare samples I missed once it was gone. Whisky Doris is 5 for 5.

Availability - Possibly available on the European continent
Pricing - it was around €175
Rating - 90

Ben Nevis 20 year old 1997 Exclusive Malts, cask 38

The second half of this series starts with one of my own bottles. The tasting sample was pulled from below the bottle's halfway point, so yes I already know how this story's going to end. With smiles, damn it! Whoops, I mean SPOILER ALERT.

Distillery: Ben Nevis
Region: Highlands (Western)
Independent Bottler: Creative Whisky Company
Range: The Exclusive Malts
Age: 20 years old (24 Jan 1997 to 2017)
Maturation: refill sherry hogshead
Cask #: 38
Outturn: 242 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 51.9%
(from my bottle)

NEAT
BIG sherry on the nose. Can't imagine what this hoggie's first fill whisky was like. There are smoked almonds, Heath Bars, walnuts, brine, orange oil and hints of anise and mint. There's also a musty old cask note that peeks out from time to time. The palate is salty and earthy with plenty of dark chocolate, but that's balanced with lemons, golden raisins, guava juice and spicy cigars. It finishes with tart limes, peach skins, earth and baking spices.

DILUTED TO ~46%abv, or ¾ tsp of water per 30mL whisky
Not much change (which is good!) on the nose. It's slightly fruitier and maltier with mellower sherry. The palate has become earthier with forest floor notes. Dunnage floor, too? A bright orange note floats above. It finishes with soil, smoke and oranges.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
After a string of decent but unexciting bottles of my own, it was such a pleasure to finally open an excellent whisky. As mentioned in the notes, this is one of those refill casks that reads like a vibrant first fill, yet there are no plain pruney notes nor black raisins. The dark and light characteristics are precisely balanced on the palate, while the nose shines at every moment. In addition to all those words, I'd just like to add that this whisky is very tasty. The end. 😊

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - around $125 back in 2017
Rating - 90

Ben Nevis 20 year old 1996 Single Cask Nation, cask 2011

Easy summary of the first seven Ben Nevee: No home runs, maybe a pair of doubles and two singles. Only one flop from the five bourbon casks, but none of the four matched the complexity and loveliness of the 13 year old hoggie that sold me on Ben Nevis eight years ago.

It's time to switch to the 20+ year old sherry cask Ben Nevises (including some 1996s), and I'm really hoping to find some winners among them. I've given Single Cask Nation a bit of grief during this series so I'm hoping this refill puncheon gets a little punchy in my glass. Yeah, I'm proud of that one.

Don't look too hard for the man in the reflection
because these tastings are pants-optional.

Distillery: Ben Nevis
Region: Highlands (Western)
Independent Bottler: Single Cask Nation
Age: 20 years old (Nov 1996 to Jan 2017)
Maturation: refill Oloroso puncheon
Cask #: 2011
Outturn: 321 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 55.6%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT
Party nose! Milk chocolate, caramel sauce, milky coffee, Old Spice and orange slice candy. There's also some mild peat and a hint of mango juice. It all gets mustier and fruitier with time. The palate arrives from a different angle. Bitter chocolate, soil, broken stones and dried leaves. Hints of honey and oranges in the background. The whisky gets heavier, smokier and saltier with time in the glass. The finish is very earthy and leafy with a spicy zing.

DILUTED TO ~46%abv, or 1¼ tsp of water per 30mL whisky
The nose leans more towards cigars and toasted oak spices, then almond extract, lemon zest and a pinch of moss. The palate is a blast of dark chocolate, heavy smoke and sweet citrus. It finishes smoky and earthy with a hint of sweetness.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
This one beat the five preceding bourbon cask Ben Nevii fair and square. The fruity bits keep it from becoming monolithic, but it's still a dark, hefty thing and LOADED with character. It smells great and tastes great and I wish I had more right now. Should I have just done 16 sherry cask bottlings? Or I am getting too hyped about the second half of this series?

Availability - Sold out (USA)
Pricing - maybe $200ish?
Rating - 89

Ben Nevis 23 year old 1996 Single Cask Nation, cask 1839

After the Valinch & Mallet experience I decided to move some of the Ben Nevises around so that I could finish up all the bourbon cask BNs right here. All nine Nevises after this will be from sherry casks, which is what all four of you who've been following this series have been waiting for anyway.

This 23 year old hoggie from the Single Cask Nation gents was distilled in 1996, an allegedly fabulous vintage for this distillery. ...... And now I've just deleted my two-paragraph hot take on whisky "vintages". I'm unsold on the magical vintage theory (because science), but I've also written about it a half dozen times already. Instead, I will write about something totally unique to Diving for Pearls: Ben Nevis.

Distillery: Ben Nevis
Region: Highlands (Western)
Independent Bottler: Single Cask Nation
Age: 23 years old (Nov 1996 to Nov 2019)
Maturation: second-fill bourbon hogshead
Cask #: 1839
Outturn: 209 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 50.4%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT
The nose is mossy with a few drops of tropical fruit punch, followed by small notes of buttery American chardonnay and old newspapers. It gets butterier, and picks up notes of dried thyme and orange with time. A subsequent pour shows more flowers and dried apricots. The palate has a salty mineral core with flowers and nectarines around the outside. A strong tanginess and pepper oil joins the salt. Tiny notes of oranges and malt in the background. The subsequent pour is maltier with a good bitterness. Its warm finish is simply salt and citrus.

DILUTED TO ~46%abv, or ½ tsp of water per 30mL whisky
The nose becomes much fruitier, candied like a Jolly Rancher bag, with notes of moss, roses and tomato leaf in the background. Nectarines, oranges, minerals and barley make up the palate, with a balance of sweetness and pepper at its center. It finishes sweeter now, though it's still tangy and salty. Maybe a bit of lychee in there?

WORDS WORDS WORDS
Though the cask lost at least 41% of its original contents over 23 years, it thankfully didn't seek revenge on the whisky and its drinkers. By that I mean, the whisky isn't oaky. It does feel lean and simple when neat, but then loosens up with just a little bit of water. I wasn't crazy about this Ben Nevis during its first pour as it offered nothing one can't get from many younger, cheaper whiskies from other distilleries. But the second pour was better, bolder and brighter. Though for this price??? Next.

Availability - Several retailers in the US of A
Pricing - $220-$260
Rating - 85

Ben Nevis 19 year old 1999 Valinch & Mallet, cask 18-1901

Here's today's whisky:

Here's last Friday's whisky:

Side by side:

Look at today's whisky, on the left, swallowing light. I went in on the bottle split because I thought it was a sherry cask. It's not. It's a bourbon hogshead.

Distillery: Ben Nevis
Region: Highlands (Western)
Independent Bottler: Valinch & Mallet
Range: Hidden Casks Collection
Age: 19 years (1999-2018)
Maturation: bourbon hogshead
Cask number: 18-1901
Outturn: 278 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 52.8%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT
It noses of lumber, bark, caramel, pine needles, cocoa, black peppercorns, caramel, brine, mint and caramel. The punishingly sweet palate rings of sweet vermouth and tawny port. Orange oil, eucalyptus and acres of bitter oak. It finishes with cloying sugar syrup and bitter oak.

Um, water?

DILUTED TO ~46%abv, or ¾ tsp of water per 30mL whisky
The nose is of a dustier bourbon now. Lots of caramel, butterscotch, barrel char and vanilla custard. There's more vanilla and barrel char on the palate, with some bubblegum, sweet vermouth and intensely drying tannins. It finishes with a sugary swirl of vanilla and cherry juice.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
As a Ben Nevis this is turrible. Had someone done this to a Springbank or Clynelish or Lagavulin there would be pitchforks and tears and gnashing of teeth throughout whiskydom. The whisky makes one wonder if "Hidden Casks" refers to the act of finding the thing in the back of the warehouse way way way too late.

BUT. As a bourbon it is of interest. It's essentially a combination of two genres of American whiskey. Part One: those wine cask finished thingies from Angel's Envy and Joseph Magnus. Part Two: Crafty-Craft Craft Craft Whiskey. And, you know what, it makes a decent old fashioned cocktail. I mean that was the whole purpose of this release, right?

Availability - A few bottles may still be available here and there in the USA and Europe
Pricing - $150-$200
Rating - 73 (but only if you pretend you're drinking bourbon)

Ben Nevis 18 year old 2001 Old Particular for K&L Wine Merchants

25% done with the series and what have I learned so far? That Ben Nevis can be weird and it can be overrun by aggressive sherry casks? Nah, I think many of us knew that already. I appreciate that each of the first four whiskies was its own creature, demonstrating that Ben Nevis has the potential to be a chameleon malt. But I'm not sure how I actually feel about that, especially if the quality rarely matches the quirk. Whisky number 5 on this trip is a refill hoggie, so perhaps it'll lean a little closer to Monday's Blackadder.

Distillery: Ben Nevis
Region: Highlands (Western)
Independent Bottler: Douglas Laing
Range: Old Particular
Age: 18 years (2001-2019)
Maturation: refill hogshead
Cask number: DL13264
Exclusive to: K&L Wine Merchants
Alcohol by Volume: 52.8%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT
The nose begins naked and raw, with barley and heat and sand. Then, gradually, it opens up. Milk Duds, McIntosh apples, plums, flowers, the first dose of BN industrial funk and some quirky savory spices. Malt, hard toffee and plums in the palate, followed by IPA-ish grapefruits (or grapefruit-ish IPAs), mint leaves, fresh ginger and a hint of that funk. A real citrus bomb in the finish, with grapefruits, oranges, lemons, ginger and mint leaf.

DILUTED TO ~46%abv, < 1 tsp of water per 30mL whisky
Ah, the nose has become much more medicinal while also adding in lemon peel and more maltiness. The palate also gains a medicinal note and citrus zests. Fewer sweets, more minerals. It finishes citric, mineral and malty.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
I was hoping to experience The Funk (sans sherry cask!) and The Fruit in the same Ben Nevis at some point during this series, and here it is in the form of an 18yo refill hoggie. Though more complex when neat, the whisky sharpens and focuses nicely once it's diluted. For those folks wondering if Ben Nevis could be a casual drinker, this whisky answers in the affirmative. Crisp stuff. I like it.

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - $100
Rating - 88

Ben Nevis 16 year old 1998 Cadenhead Authentic Collection

Ben Nevis + Cadenhead = a reliable next step. I didn't purposely set this series up to have several bourbon casks in a row, so it's just dumb luck that I have a chance to drink a few Ben Nevii that are (theoretically) closer to the spirit. Monday's Blackadder was very good. I'm looking forward to this single bourbon barrel of my favorite Western Highlands single malt.

Distillery: Ben Nevis
Region: Highlands (Western)
Independent Bottler: Cadenhead
Range: Authentic Collection
Age: 16 years old (1998 to Nov 2015)
Maturation: bourbon barrel
Outturn: 228 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 51.2%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

The nose begins with a good balance of metal, soil, orange peels and peach skins. Then some ocean notes, fresh cilantro, jalapeños and snuffed candle. At first the palate shows minerals, limes, kiwis and pound cake. But then it makes a beeline for rum. Specifically, Foursquare. And I can't get it out of my head. It finishes with Foursquare, limes, grass and black pepper.

DILUTED TO ~46%abv, or ⅔ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

Oh my gourd, now there's Foursquare in the nose. Once I can swim through the rum I find baked apples and toffee pudding. The palate is very desserty, with spice cake and raspberry sorbet. It finishes with berries and brown sugar.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Well, shoot. While there is in fact a 1998 Cadenhead Ben Nevis that was finished in rum casks, this is not the one. I've seen the bottle this came from. Anyway, the neat nose delights again, and the neat palate hits all the right spots for the first two sips. The Foursquare switcheroo is a little odd but not a dealbreaker. My bigger issue is that the whisky gets much too liqueur-like once diluted. So keep this whisky neat!

Availability - Probably sold out
Pricing - €90, I think
Rating - 84 (neat only)