Ben Nevis 21 year (1998/2019) Hidden Spirits

Nose: The nose is sharp, intense and seemingly aggressive on first contact, but that is deceptive as this needs at least 15 minutes to rest in the glass before any serious analysis can be undertaken. Once the immediate alcohol vapours have dissipated the full bouquet can be appreciated, and my goodness what a wonderful and complex nose it is. Meaty and full-bodied with umami qualities that are off the scale. Smoked ham, barbecued beef, dark soy sauce, perique tobacco, toasted walnuts, Brazil nuts, malt extract, beef consommé and an elegant cloak of rancio. A showpiece of muscular single malt whisky aromas. With the addition of water the nose is initially subdued but over time it returns in a gentler and arguably even better integrated form, but I did miss the sublime presence of the neat nose. Over extended time a sweet honeyed aroma comes through. 9/10 Palate: A sweet, heavy, unctuous arrival that explodes into a sumptuous array of oloroso-cask influences. This intense sherry presence builds and builds over time, extending into the final echoes of the aftertaste but never taking control or masking the panoply of complex flavor facets. The sherry is half of the experience but it shares the stage with many other fine actors. Tobacco, leather, nuts, chocolate, coffee and old, old oak. Water lowers the intensity of the palate but adds integration and evolves a touch of spice (ginger, cinnamon) which is very pleasant. Water does not harm the palate but neither is it preferable – just different. Personally I preferred it neat. The texture is what angels dream about. 10/10. Finish: Stewed fruits, sherry and oak trailing into an exquisitely long and increasingly dry aftertaste. It's captivating and has incredible persistence. I was still tasting this whisky an hour after finishing the dram and it was continuing to unfurl on the palate. Water has little effect on the finish apart from bringing out further dry, briny notes that are very pleasant. 9/10. A magnificent single malt whisky, and a privilege to taste. Hidden Spirits simply hit this one right out of the park. It's a wonderful experience from start to finish with the trademark Ben Nevis gritty, bold, west highland distillate character expertly illuminated by sherry maturation. This is far removed from the usual suspect sweet sherry monsters of Speyside or the eastern highlands. It is a magisterial whisky that was 100% matured in a very fine ex-oloroso cask (#BN9819) and while the sherry influence is right in your face for the entirety of the experience it never seems intrusive. It’s a masterpiece and I only wish I could find another bottle. I ended up nursing this dram for almost 2 hours, enjoying it first neat and then watered to about 45%. The one comfort I have is that the core-range Ben Nevis 10 year old still gets you a long way towards the rapture of this whisky at an affordable price. Ben Nevis has always been one of my favourite distilleries and this whisky reinforces my long-held conviction that the west coast of the Scottish highlands (together with the neighbouring Hebridean islands and the Kintyre peninsula) is where all the best whisky comes from. “Outstanding” : 91/100 (5 stars)