Blackadder is an independent bottler that tends to be very, very pricy where I am - so I have abstained from buying a bottle. That may change after tonight. At a restaurant bar I had a glass of one of the most remarkable Highland whiskies I've ever had - a 15 year Ben Nevis that would rival any Springbank (!). Truly amazing stuff.
Ben Nevis, as I've remarked before, is owned by Japanese company Nikka, and most of their best stuff ends up in the Nikka-branded releases. Thanks to changes in Japanese law, this may be changing soon... but it's been the rule for a long time.
Blackadder is an independent bottler founded in 1995, named after historic Scottish icon Bishop John Blackadder. Their bottlings are almost always from single casks, and since 2000 they have offered the Raw Cask series - not even the simplest mechanical filtering is provided. That is what I want, so I thank them.
This is a 15 year from an (ex-bourbon?) hogshead from Ben Nevis, distilled in 2003 and bottled in 2019. Served up at 55.5% ABV. Let's explore immediately:
Nose: Wow, holy Moses. This nose immediately has about a dozen apparent layers, even without time to rest in the glass. Immense nose: strawberry, motor oil, honey, earth, lychee, charred pineapple, light malt barley, dust, dunnage, dank cave, orange peel, tangelo flesh, tart peach... it's incredible. Every whiff in the glass is something new and lovely.
With water: A deep, pervasive funk emerges - motor oil foremost. Really funky stuff.
Mouthfeel: Without water, it's medium and oily. With water, it becomes exceptionally viscous and heavy.
Palate: Even better than the nose. A tropical fruit explosion: kiwi, starfruit, pineapple, lychee, tangerine. Malt barley, salt, dunnage warehouse, dust, musk, strawberry. Rich espresso grounds!
With water: Motor oil, strawberry, "grime" (a very dirty element, like Springbank), blueberry, and then all the flavors listed above.
Finish: Luxurious wood spice, motor oil, tropical fruit, malt, honey drippings, flowers.
Verdict: Absolutely an exceptional cask from Ben Nevis. This would compete head-to-head with any Springbank I've had - the 55.5% helps immensely - it's rich, tropical, salty, and tremendously "dirty." Tons of black oil, berry, coffee, malt... amazingly rich. Just a fantastic expression of Ben Nevis. Makes you seriously crave more from Nikka - please, please release more like this! Incredible stuff from Blackadder.
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