Ben Nevis 26 Year Old 1974

This is an ‘old’ Ben Nevis, meaning a distillate from before Nikka took over. You will remember that the Japanese group Nikka (known for Yoichi and Myagikyo) acquired Ben Nevis in 1989. Since then, only a 10 Year Old and blend are marketed. That was quite different before. This is a 26 Year Old Ben Nevis, distilled in 1974 and bottled in 2000.

Ah, what a wonderful nose. Round and creamy on banana, caramelized oranges, a bucket of honey, nougat, almond oil. Somewhat bourbonny, even. Sweet corn on the BBQ. Super.

On the palate, despite the high ABV, it is silky soft. Again, I feel like I am tasting a bourbon. Succulent sweet on banana, citrus, apricots and honey, but heavily seasoned. Nutmeg, ginger, white pepper. Quite lovely, indeed.

The long finish is wonderfully sweet and smoky.

Boy, this is very appealing. I do not have a lot of experience with Ben Nevis (this is only my third), but I want to get to know this whisky better. This is simply great stuff! Used to be around 150 EUR, but cannot be found today.

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