Ben Nevis 10 Year Old Single Malt Review

Courtesy Of Ben Nevis

The joy of whisky for me is the exploration. I'm rarely caught buying the same bottle on repeat, although there are some exceptions that make it onto what others have coined the 'permashelf', those that offer such good quality and value that once a bottle is drained you just have to get a replacement.

More often than not though I'm found spending my cash on taking a punt on something new, be it a new expression within an existing brand or distillery core range, or trying a new distillery altogether.

Ben Nevis is a distillery I've been meaning to try for a couple of years now. Founded in 1825 it came under the ownership of the Nikka whisky company in 1989 and as such most of it's spirit has found it's way into Japanese whisky.

The distilleries spirit is known to be a robust Highland expression that is waxy, laden with tropical fruit and subtly peaty. The 10 year old was first released in 1996 but never really made it's onto my whisky radar when I began my journey in the early noughties. 

A subsequent relaunch and redesign in 2021 thrust it very much into my line of whisky vision as it quickly became an enthusiasts favourite across the whiskyverse. Sadly I never got round to buying a bottle but I've been helped out again by my friend Tony aka @the_north_coast_drammer with a generous sample.

Let's Taste!

Ben Nevis 10 Year Old 46% NC NCF £55

Matured in a combo of ex bourbon & ex sherry casks

Nose: Initially a mix of lactic Greek yoghurt notes and furniture polish. Copper, pepper, flint. Then raisins & hazelnuts alongside tropical notes of pineapple, mango and banana. Orange zest. Candle wax, barley husks and some stewed apples too.

Palate: Chewy and palate coating. An immediate hit of malt alongside black pepper and wax. Then that tropical fruit from the nose with mango, green papaya and pineapple. Light vanilla and orange peel. Some bitter cocoa powder too. A touch of green olives tempers the fruit.

Finish: Quite intense and medium to long. Still cereal driven with some pepper heat, a metallic edge and waxiness.

Score: 8 out of 10

Overall: A brilliant dram and one that conjures up memories of complex old school Scotch at it’s best. Amazing to think this is only 10 years old and around the £55 mark. Not one I’d suggest for those just getting into whisky but for those who have been around a while and whose palates are craving complexity and old school vibes this is hard to beat.

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