Ben Nevis 2002 (Port Pipe #334)

Another whisky matured in Port wood. This Ben Nevis 2002 was taken from warehouse n°2, where it matured (full-time) in a cask that previously held white port, which is quite rare for whisky.

Ben Nevis 10 yo 2002 (56,4%, OB 2013, Port pipe #334, 710 btl.)

Nose: pretty young spirit, with sweet apple juice, pine needles, and a bubblegum type of aroma. Some wet cardboard and hay. Lots of waxy notes, in between lipstick and lamp oil. In the background there’s a kind of sweet fruit syrup, orange squash, currants and marzipan. Some vanilla.

Mouth: very fruity, honeyed start. Sweet whitecurrant jam, orange candy, maybe even pomegrenate? Underneath is some clear wood with plenty of spices (clove, ginger, pepper). Hints of tobacco and a slight floral bitterness.

Finish: long, bittersweet. Cane sugar, honey and rose pepper.

Ben Nevis can be whacky – this one is. It’s an interesting experiment, not really comparable to other drams I can think of, but not something I would buy a full bottle of, especially at this price. From around € 160 in the UK up to € 230 from LMdW.

Score: 82/100