Some time ago we noticed a serious vulnus in our little whiskyphile world. We realized that after almost ten years of honorable activity, we haven’t reviewed an official Ben Nevis yet. Shame and disgrace. But why this despicable shortcoming? Simple, because this Ben Nevis OB in Italy is like shrimp cocktail flavored Pringles: sadly unobtainable. So we moved seas, mountains, valleys and hills in half of Europe and in the end we made it. We were able to get our hands on a bottle of the 10 yo, which is aged in a mix of ex bourbon and ex sherry barrels, and we dissected it on the first night of tasting of the enlarged whiskyfacile cda. In short, a symbolic whisky that will enter the history of this humble little blog.
Little note: our curse with Ben Nevis – whose particular style we have often appreciated – has distant roots. Two of us tried to visit it, but they arrived late for the tour. And another one arrived on a meteorologically standard day for Fort Williams, a horizontal apocalypse flood, and marked a visit.
Ben, please, let’s make up.
N: Ready, go, and put your attributes on the table right now. If the character can be seen through the nose… A start with ‘off’ notes, like certain distillery malts with worm tubs. What, Ben Nevis doesn’t use them? Never mind, let’s say copper and leather. Then there’s a sensation of dried fruit, among the hazelnuts and Brazilian nuts, maybe with milk chocolate. A whale of violet here and there. Then, between the folds of a nose, however pungent, a dark, dense fruit makes its way: very ripe peach, orange peel at the edge of mold. A complicated profile, winking at the sulphur, with notes of match, dust and a mineral peat. Graphite?
P: same style, different register. The dirty notes go back a lot and leave the stage to a masculine sweetness made of honey, yellow apple, plums and malt. Gradually, the fruity side turns from yellow to orange, with ripe peach and mandarin again. As we write, it moves again and appears a tropical, ripe pineapple and a whiff of papaya. A snappy, nervous palate, made even more changeable by those pepper and spicy tobacco. Still a slight sense of flowers, this time heather. Peach pit.
F: again surprising, the crust of the bread appears, honey remains, an unexpected savoriness peeps out.
Four heads to understand us so little? Not to exonerate us, but this is TV show whisky. You know those anthological series where each season tells a different story? That’s what happens in this dram: pilot episode a bit ‘pulp, first season dark, second season pure action, last season existentialist. Out of metaphor, a funny and complicated whisky, full of nuances, elusive, which has in his hands many good cards. Even cards of two, three different decks. We liked it so much, it would be nice to find it more easily… 88/100.
Recommended soundtrack: Lera Lynn – The only thing worth fighting for. From True Detective S02 OST.
