The Malt of the Month for September is Ben Nevis 10 Year Old.

Ben Nevis is the tallest mountain in Scotland and also a highland single malt whisky. The distillery was built in Fort William, on the banks of the river Lochy in 1825 by Long John MacDonald. It saw great success early on and was highly held by the MacDonald family through to the end of the whisky boom in the 1908. Thereafter it changed hands several times and has operated and lain silent until it was eventually being bought by Nikka Distilling company in 1989, who continue to own it today.

Interestingly after buying the distillery in 1955 – Joseph Hobbs installed a continuous distillation Coffey Still. This makes Ben Nevis one of the few distilleries that produced both grain and malt alcohol. No more though – the foray into grain alcohol only lasted 26 years.

This months Ben Nevis 10 Year Old is the first into Australia with the ‘all new’ packaging. This was updated in April this year. So without further ado – the ‘new’ Ben Nevis 10yo.

The whisky has a lovely golden hue, with an ever so gentle touch of bronze, indicating a small selection may have seen maturation in Sherry butts, but overwhelmingly this whisky has been aged in ex bourbon barrels from the US.

The nose supports this with rich honey, vanilla and almond characters, with hints of tropical fruit like banana, with just the slightest smokiness.

There is an immediate richness on the palate with exuberant honey, barley sugar, whole bean vanilla and a nuttiness. The finish makes this whisky something special. It leaves the palate very clean, but then the warmth and flavour of the finish rushes back through the mouth, leaving a delicious residual flavour, long after the glass is dry.

DISTILLERS NOTES

Bottle Size : 700ml
ABV : 46% abv
Region : Scotland – Highlands
Peated : Yes

Our single malt was introduced to the market back in 1996 using whisky produced in 1986, the last year that Long John International produced whisky at Ben Nevis distillery. Initially sales were very slow until we packaged the bottle in a presentation tube since when this has gone on to become our largest selling whisky. In Jim Murray’s “Whisky Bible 2004” he says this:- ‘such a massive introduction to the palate: soft oils, citrus notes and very big oak on the malt, but sweet enough to chew forever; the integration of the oak really makes for some finish: long, hints of bitter roast coffee against the sweet oils; the nose makes you say oh-oh, but you need a knife, fork spoon and napkin for the taste’.
Ben Nevis 10 year old