It is not everywhere one encounters any whisky at 43 years old, let alone Ben Nevis, which is better known for its vintages from 1996 onwards. This Ben Nevis was laid down in 1970 and bottled in 2014 by independent bottler Eiling Lim in an outturn of only 60 bottles. The label and WhiskyBase does not indicate what the cask previously contained, but the flavour profile indicates an exceptionally slow-acting bourbon cask and assertive distillate. This makes for an exceptionally fresh yet complex whisky.

Tasting Notes

Nose: Esters, esters, esters, furniture polish, bubblegum, mangosteen, green bananas, green papayas, Kyoho grape, cola syrup.

Palate: Syrupy texture, totally smooth, fried beancurd skin and tofu, nougat studded with candied pears, almonds, macademia nuts, but just the slightest hint of sulfur.

Finish: Esters reappear, particularly the funky sweetness of mangosteen, then mint candies, lightest touch of incense and then an endlessly lingering note of longan that yields the longest finish I've ever experienced. The longan stuck indelibly to the back of my throat on the taxi back home, for almost half an hour.

This is magnificent, from the I-can't-believe-this-is-not-a-Hampden nose to the drier, nuttier, but not astringent palate, right to the whiff of incense cutting through the estery funk and the longest finish I have yet encountered. But I think the touch of sulfur (which only comes out when chewing on the whisky) limits this to a 90. It's extremely, extremely mild, but if you are drinking 43yo Ben Nevis, you are at that stratosphere of whisky where even the slightest misstep is glaring and detracts from getting your money's worth.

H.Y.