The Ben Nevis 10 Year Old is a superb introduction to the distillery's style. Full-bodied with a whiff of peat, lots of tropical fruit and hints of coffee, roasted nuts and dark chocolate, this is a great example of western Highland whisky.
Acquired by the Japanese group Nikka in 1989, the Ben Nevis distillery was, under the ownership of Joseph W. Hobbs in 1955, one of the only distilleries in Scotland to have its own traditional pot stills and a Coffey-style column still. Bought by Long John Distillers in 1981, the Coffey stills were subsequently dismantled. It’s worth noting that the distillery was mothballed for six years at the end of the 1970s, and then again in 1984 and from 1986 to 1989.
These days, much of Ben Nevis's production is diverted into Nikka's blends with this 10 Year Old the only regular age statement bottling from the distillery as part of a very thin range of offerings. It is a firm favourite of Independent Bottlers though, with releases from the 1996 vintage being particularly coveted.
Nose: Full-flavoured, it is characterised by the mellowness of malted barley. It develops notes of ripe fruit, plum and tangy sweets.
Finish: Wonderfully long on the palate, it has a salty drying finish with a hint of peat smoke.
| Distillery | Ben Nevis |
| Bottler | Distillery Bottling |
| Brand / Series | 10 Year Old New Label 2021 |
| Category | Single Malt Scotch Whisky |
| Stated Age | 10 Years Old |
| Alcohol % | 46.0% |
| Country | Scotland |
| Region | Highland |
| Size | 700ml |
| Chill Filtered | No |
| Colouring | No |