
May 10, 2021

Ben Nevis (a tribute to Colin Ross)

Colin Ross, former Distillery Manager of Ben Nevis passed away last week. He was an extraordinary, sweet and deep man and I'll always remember his incredible stories. The maharajah, his plane and his barrels, anyone? Not to mention the fabulous whiskies he and his team used to make. He sure made out of Ben Nevis a both profound and shining star amongst aficionados – and, between us, contributed to the current glory of many a Japanese whisky too. These wee Ben Nevisses are for him and his son.
We have many on the table, let's do them randomly, and perhaps not in one go…

At Ben Nevis Distillery with Colin Ross,
many moons ago

Ben Nevis 10 yo 2010/2021 (56.7%, The Duchess, Shiraz cask finish, cask #1800020, 317 bottles)

Ducks are fashionable these days, but shiraz? Well, it's true that Ben Nevis could take just anything, so why not shiraz?… Colour: apricotty. Nose: starts steely, with some soot and some copper (old coins), yoghurt, sour cherries, then we have fresh concrete and damp gravel. It's just been raining… Chrome polish, pu-her tea. There's often pu-her in Ben Nevis. With water: leather, tobacco, and more sour cherries, with wee hints of truffle and fumes in the background. Mouth (neat): quite a lot of pepper and chilli sauce, with this chutney-y character, pickled fruits, bitters, some tar and a little rubber… Well I'm sure you could make some high-class spritz out of this one. Please pass the bottle of champagne… Rather fat body. With water: gets gentler, fruitier, with rather more red berry jams. What we call an 'old bachelor's jam'. Touch of mead and stout, fifty-fifty. Finish: rather long, reminding me of that cherry jam they make in Itxassou, in the French Basque country. Goes well with hard cheese. Comments: clearly something else, a tad dissonant here and there. Thelonious Monk's own Scotch? Love Thelonious Monk, so…
SGP:562 - 87 points.

Ben Nevis 10 yo 2008/2018 'Batch No 1' (62.4%, OB, 9000 bottles)

This baby matured in bourbon, sherry and wine casks. I would say this is one of the very last 'emblematic' BNs Colin Ross composed, which makes it even more moving. Colour: gold. Nose: no winey notes, that's sorted. Then pure Ben Nevis, very fat, full of oils, petrol, sesame, some kind of thick bread, roasted pecans, walnuts, a touch of metal polish and one of mustard, soot, lees and beers… Plus, I have to say, quite some ethanol. Mind you, 62% +! Oh and a manzanilla-y touch, always a hit at WF Towers. With water: I so love manzanilla! Does manzanilla grappa exist, by the way? Wonderful salty, coastal, walnutty and mustardy nose. Mouth (neat): huge, full of mustard, manzanilla indeed, green walnuts, seawater, green peppercorns… In truth it's pretty brutal, but water will help. With water: perfect sootiness, saltiness, and, well, finoness (?) What a distillate! Finish: very long, on just the same flavours. A great old fino by Bodegas Tradición. Comments: 90 + 1 for Colin. I do what I want, this is my blog. No, no refunds, who do you think you are? Cheers Colin!
SGP:373 - 91 points.

Ben Nevis 22 yo 1998/2020 (54.4%, Hidden Spirits for LMDW, 2nd fill sherry, cask #BN9820, 208 bottles)

There's been a 21 1998 by Hidden Spirits that just rocked my tulip (glass). This is a sequel bottling, I suppose… Colour: deep gold. Nose: oh yes, abundant old walnuts, old British car engine, mustard sauce, pine resin and menthol essence, autumn leaves, old cigars, old dry Madeira, vin jaune… I find this just sublime. With water: a little more dirtiness, old oils, linseed, soot, coal dust and all that. Very Ben Nevis. Mouth (neat): imagine a blend with 95% old fino and 5% proper moscatel. Touches of resinous woods and chlorophyll, plus a tiny drop of crème de menthe. Perhaps less complex than on the nose, but this game isn't over… With water: there, these sour, gritty, rubbery and slightly acidic touches that are not unseen in BN. Tends to refuse you at this point, it is a fighter. Sweet earthy mustard. Finish: long and curiously sweeter, almost honeyed. Have I mentioned moscatel before? Sour-sweet. Comments: one that doesn't like to let it go. Bas***d!
SGP:462 - 89 points.

Ben Nevis 3 yo (56.6%, Whisky Hood, peated sherry bloodtub, 2019)

Good fun from Switzerland. 3 years, that's pretty young, but we could notice, in the past, that bloodtubs were very fast! Colour: amber. Nose: rusty, spicy, peaty, very medicinal. Embrocations, thuja wood, teak oil, retsina, loads of tar, old tarry ropes, peach leaves… With water: Grisons meat (no wonder, the honourable bottler is Swiss) and bresaola, plus touches of new tyres and alpine mud. I am not joking and am finding this lovely and very pleasantly 'different'. Mouth (neat): good fun indeed! This works, it's thick as a liqueur, mentholy and camphory, very tarry, extractive, with a good dollop of green chartreuse and probably some Bénédictine to boot. It's very good, I think. With water: perhaps a nod to butter pears, otherwise more cough medicine and tar. Finish: long and tarry, with some coastal elements as well as some heavy beer in the aftertaste. Comments: truly excellent. These little bloodtubs can be true bastards and leak more than a Jaguar, but when they work they work. Excellent, and probably pretty rare. Grüezi!
SGP:565 - 88 points.

Ben Nevis 'MacDonald's Traditional' (46%, OB, +/-2020)

We've tried and earlier expression back in 2013 and were not totally flabbergasted, but it was good (WF 83). Colour: white wine. Nose: more peat than I remembered. Dirt and scoria, gravel, soot, old stove, apple peelings and last year's walnuts. Definitely kind of metallic as well. Then ripe plums, tartes and cakes. A little brine too, capers… Mouth: hold on, this is good. More dirt and soot, ashes, kippers, green apples, some grist and flour, perhaps a tiny olive, seashells… It's peatier than I remembered. Finish: good length, with a little vanilla coating it. A grassy peatiness and some pepper and coconut in the aftertaste. Comments: probably a little young (that coconut) but the spirit is pretty vigorous, hale and hearty. And peaty.
SGP:454 - 84 points.

A last one but there should be more tomorrow…

Ben Nevis 23 yo 1996/2020 (56.1%, Elixir Distillers, The Whisky Trail, hogshead, cask #1684)

They say the 1996s are all great. Are we really sure? Colour: straw. Nose: you can't quite fight this. Peaches, sunflower seeds (or oil), fresh almonds, plaster, a drop of mint essence, white asparagus… The taster just bows before this. With water: wool, new magazines, ground barley, chalk and a brand new tweed jacket. Which I'll go buy in Edinburgh as soon as we're allowed to fly. Mouth (neat): astounding precision. Maracuja, flints, chalk, citrons, touch of pepper, olive oil, whatnot… With water: more on cakes. Finish: medium, saltier. Lemon, salt and pepper in the aftertaste, the salt even plays with your lips. Comments: boringly excellent. Fab selection once again, nothing to add. Or rather this, 'more please'. They could sell subscriptions, no?
SGP:463 - 90 points.

Check the index of all Ben Nevis we've tasted so far