pkingmartin
Ben Nevis 1996 24 year (Single Malts of Scotland)
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed
November 23, 2022 (edited November 24, 2022)
The nose starts with a mix of powdered sugar dusted caramelized mangoes, kiwi and dusty leather-bound books then dark chocolate covered golden raisins, honeycomb, freshly lit pipe tobacco and light seaside minerality followed by nectarines, persimmons and tangerine orange that transitions to light baking spices and polished antique furniture with medium ethanol burn.
The taste is a medium mouthfeel starting with a mix of powdered sugar dusted caramelized mangoes, pineapple and dusty leather-bound books then dark chocolate mocha, golden raisins, honeysuckle, freshly lit pipe tobacco and light seaside minerality followed by peaches, limes and tangerine orange that transitions to light baking spices and polished antique furniture with medium ethanol burn.
The finish is medium length with caramelized mangoes, grilled pineapple, nectarines, black pepper, mild pipe smoke, honeysuckle, light sea salt, leather and polished antique furniture.
Overall, this is a delightful dram that is very fruit forward with tropical fruits underscored with well-aged oak along with light sherry notes, mild smoke and seaside minerality that is incredibly well-balanced with all the notes flowing harmoniously together and nothing out of place. It’s a wonderful and relaxing dram that I could spend hours with a bottle to sit back, pour a few glasses and just ponder its many facets over but the flavors are unfortunately thinner than I’d prefer and would really like them to be a bit bolder and richer.
Thanks so much for this tasty dram @Richard-ModernDrinking , as I’ve never tasted a Ben Nevis before and will need to keep an eye out for them going forward.
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@cascode Ah, yes it appears that a few of the other IB 1996 Ben Nevis came out at a higher ABV and could be the reason for the lighter mouthfeel. I’ll keep an eye out for any samples at a higher strength to hopefully dive into future tastes. This is still one I’d love to have in my cabinet to drink as it’s just fruity and delightful.
This sounds magnificent, but the abv is a little shy compared with other 1996 20+ year IBs. Maybe that's why it seems a touch thin?
@Richard-ModernDrinking Ah, I can see that. If you ever wish to part with the bottle, I’d certainly be interested to take it off your hands.
The 1996 Ben Nevis vintages have become much sought after but this one was a bit too fruity for me.