Roger’s Vintage Selection
Ben Nevis 6 Year Old Heavily Peated First-fill Sherry Cask Matured
My second bottling is a Ben Nevis single cask whisky with a very limited outturn of just 329 bottles. What’s special about this is that a peated and full sherry matured Ben Nevis cask is quite hard to find. The very distinct character of the Ben Nevis distillate, combined with peat and sherry, makes for a very exciting combination!
Available at retailers
The story of this whisky
The label
Continuing in the style of my first bottling, the label is again custom designed art in the style of the post-modern era of last century.
The label tells the story of the whisky inside and is in my view part of the whole experience of enjoying this whisky. It of course depicts the Ben Nevis mountain, location of the distillery. And the smoking campfire relates to the peat smoke that was used to dry the barley in the whisky making process.
My friend Andrew (@whiskyhobo on insta) was the artist for the label, and he did an excellent job again!
The whisky
This very rare peated Ben Nevis spirit was laid down in a first-fill sherry cask with number 34 on the 28th of january in 2015.
It was bottled at an age of 6 years on the 16th of april 2021, and the outturn was 329 bottles. Each bottle is hand numbered. Of course the whisky is non-chill filtered and not coloured.
The whisky is bottled at a strength of 58.4%, giving maximum room for all complex flavours to be introduced in your glass.
What others are saying…
Thijs Klaverstijn
Wordsofwhisky
Nose: Classic sour Ben Nevis aromas, not unlike copper coins, as well as rhubarb, cassis and lychees, but also sweeter touches of golden syrup and cane sugar. All of this is underlined by wood smoke, soot and dark notes of cinnamon, even some faint medicinal notes. Mature beyond its years.
Taste: An oily, somewhat dry mouthfeel highlighted by ashes, wood smoke and some dark chocolate, as well as licorice root and nutmeg. Sweet notes of cinnamon, nougat and cocoa powder with just a touch of rubber and rye bread, but also raisins.
Finish: Chocolate truffles, plenty of wood smoke and some soot.
Score: 88
No second album syndrome here, as Roger managed to follow his Caol Ila with another very good release.
Noortje Baselmans
Whiskylifestyle
Nose: quite dirty this one, which is great! A nice layer of peat. Blueberries and blackberries. Leather and quite some rubber, especially after a while. Oranges and a little bit of honey. Diesel oil in the background. A faint hint of brown sugar, cinnamon and liquorice.
Taste: peat here as well. Honey and sweet raisins. A hint of rubber again. Dark chocolate. Oranges, which is followed by a bunch of spices such as nutmeg and cinnamon. A touch of liquorice too.
Finish: mid-long with peat, honey, dark chocolate and raisins.
Score: 87
I already liked his first release, but this Ben Nevis is just as good and a bit more my style than the Caol Ila. A dirty Ben Nevis, where the peat is nicely integrated. And if I had tasted this blind, I would have guessed it older. Really great cask pick!
Amir Ellutiv
@whiskyrabbi
Nose: Sweet burnt toffee, together with caramelised bananas. You get a slight whiff of smoke, but nothing to suggest it is heavily peated.
Taste: Wow, there is a mix of toffee popcorn, a sweet fruity taste, which then evaporates into smoke, and you have a gentle lasting smoke flavours which feels like the embers of last night's campfire by the loch overlooking ben Nevis. There are hints of berry fruits, and toasted marshmallows.
This is another great whisky, considering its young age it has a complexity and maturity that defies its young age, Roger, you have scaled great heights with this bottling, what is next? Can’t wait.
Serge Valentin
whiskyfun.com
Roger’s tasting notes:
Colour:
Dark copper.
Nose:
A rich, warming nose. Feels distinctly more aged and complex than its 6 years. Slight medicinal peat, mixed with old leather bags. Then a touch of fresh raspberries, again mixed with comforting caramelised red onion and cinnamon spice.
Palate:
Heavily peat is coming in, lush sherry tones, slightly medicinal, warm, a touch drying like dark cacao or dark chocolate. Well rounded and satisfying mouthfeel.
Finish:
The finish is long with clear cacao tones.