Ben Nevis 11 Year (Single Cask Nation)

 

I never really rated Ben Nevis until I met a whisky friend via the Scotch Malt Whisky Society who swore left and right that they were just as funky and rich as I found Ardmore. So I began exploring Ben Nevis, and soon after had a 15 year from Blackadder that just stunned me completely. Rich, farmy, funky, it was phenomenal. So I became a fan.

This 11 year bottling from Single Cask Nation (now owned by the parent company that also owns SMWS) has a 3 year Oloroso hogshead finishing maturation. Here are the official notes from SCN: 

NOSE: Deliciously bright with golden raisins, white peaches, and toasted oats then plum tart, warm honey, and toasted walnuts.

PALATE: Rich and unctuous with unmistakable Ben Nevis heft, freshly baled hay, warm cider (the bubbly alcoholic kind), apple pie, and toasted almond slivers.

FINISH: Good length with returning toasted oats, luscious apricots drizzled with warm honey, and dark chocolate.

and:

Interesting! Since I basically only drink independently bottled whiskies now (sorry, distilleries - but you generally suck at presenting your own liquid), this was a no-brainer when it came available. Bottled at 56.2% ABV, let's see if I agree with this chart:

Nose: On the neck pour: orange peel, mildly bitter. Ripe and unripe orange flesh. Those notes dissipate after a while and never really returned. 

Then: Peach, peach stone; plum, plum stone. Toasted oats for sure, and also wet hay - quite "farmy." Some dark chocolate, the powdery hot chocolate kind.

Lots and lots of nuts, both raw and toasted - very lightly bitter almonds and walnuts especially. Motor oil - specifically used, viscous, metallic motor oil. Rich veins of honey come and go. 

All in all, the nose is gently on the dry side, as you would expect from Oloroso. It sweetens with a little water or with time in the glass (or both). 

Mouthfeel: Super thick and chewy. 

Palate: Sweeter than expected: apple sauce, a handful of baking spices (cloves, cinnamon), orange liqueur (almost like Grand Marnier), peach again, more metallic oil, then lots of honey drizzled over walnuts and almonds. Always a buttery hay note.  

Rich, a nice mix of dry and sweet, some heady overtones I like. A nice steady, consistent progression of flavors as well - always a good sign.

I would alter their chart to add two more bars of "Spicy" and two less of "Floral." I would also maybe add one bar of "Oaky" and one bar of "Nutty." But it's quite close, and this is admittedly the neck pour, so things might settle differently over time. 

Finish: Warming: apples, wood tannins, oats, honey, baking spices, toasted nuts. Quite dry and complex on the finish, actually. That metallic oil note comes and goes. Surprisingly long.

Verdict: A typically funky, oily, farmy Ben Nevis has been augmented with super dry, nutty Oloroso, which pairs well with the core spirit. A dry nose and finish are balanced out with a rich palate - a fantastic bottle. I'm super curious about their current Auchroisk and Aberfeldy bottles now (also both sherry finished)! Worth seeking out if you like dry sherry, or Ben Nevis generally.