After yesterday’s disappointing zero-pointer I had to put in another semi-random guess. I waited with today’s distillery selection until after the results, but since I tasted the whisky on Monday I wasn’t overly sharp on specifics anymore.

Apparently, I wasn’t sharp on Monday either since I was convinced this was a sherry cask instead of a bourbon hogshead. Silly me. Somehow I seem to be f-ing up my cask identification all over the place at the moment.

Anyway, this Ben Nevis, which I thought was one of the lighter GlenDronachs (19yo, some 55%) turned out to be one I have already tried during a tasting some year and a half ago. Back then I wasn’t overly thrilled with it, but I have to revise that opinion.

A true stunner for yesterday’s Blind Tasting Dram.

Sniff:
Warm with stewed fruits. Blood orange but some red fruits too. Syrupy. A very good oakiness. Could be a sherry cask?

Sip:
The palate is rather sharp and slightly Armagnac-like. Lots of chocolate suddenly. I’d go for sherry again. Fruits too, strawberry, orange and lots of lovely oak.

Swallow:
The finish is really gorgeous with blood orange and stewed fruits. Long and sweet.

Bloody awesome, this is.

So far, this is my favorite dram of the competition and they’re going to be hard pressed to find something to top it. I’m sure Ewald is up for it, though.

The depth and layeredness of this whisky is incredible, but it also goes a nice dram just for ‘drinking’ instead of tasting. Kudos for getting enough bottles of this, even though it’s sold out right now. I wish I had picked it up when it came out.

I got 50 points with this one. 20 For being in the right region, and another 30 for only being one year off on the age.

Ben Nevis 18, 1995-2013, 51.8%, The Whisky Agency (Old Times Diving). No longer available, but used to cost around 100 euros.