Ben Nevis 19 Year Old 1996 Old Malt Cask (50%, Hunter Laing, Sherry Butt #12148, 572 Bottles, 2015)

• Category: Highland single malt scotch whisky
• Origin: Ben Nevis Distillery
• Bottling: Hunter Laing; Old Malt Cask; Cask 12148
• ABV: 50%
• Cost: [Discontinued]

What they say:

A single cask independent bottling of 19 year old Ben Nevis single malt Scotch whisky, matured in Sherry butt #12148. It was distilled back in June 1996 and left to mature until November 2015, when it was bottled for the Old Malt Cask range by Hunter Laing with an outurn of 572 bottles.

Nose:

Delicately herbal with minerals and soft fruits

Palate:

Honey and caramel, oranges, green herbs and English tea

Finish:

Long and lingering with sweet oily notes

What I say:

Another heavily-sherried Ben Nevis, rapidly becoming one of my quietly favoured distilleries. This one has been bottled by Hunter Laing as part of their Old Malt Cask range.

Colour:

Copper with ruby highlights (13/20), medium-fine legs with quick medium-sized tears

Nose:

Fruity, dried fruit; raisins, prunes, sherry, raspberry balsamic vinegar, nutty, well combined fruit and nut mixture like fruit cake or Christmas cake, strawberry tart pastries, very sweet and honeyed

Taste:

Cherry liqueur & blackcurrant cordial intense fruits, a little tart almost, some spices including ginger and cinnamon follow, a little thin/light in body, this reminded me of a spiced fruit punch or ‘winter’ spiced fruit cordial, hints of peat smoke and honey creep in

Finish:

Medium long, fruity and spiced

Overall:

Packed full of fruit and spice from Oloroso sherry cask maturation, the only let down was the apparent lack of any malty depth or backbone to this dram or it would have scored well into our top category.

Score: 87/100

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