Ben Nevis 1996 Whisky Sponge No.52
Decadent Drinks| 50.1% ABV
Score: 8/10
Something Special.
TL;DR
As expected
Remembering…
A ’96 vintage from Ben Nevis with our score handily placed at the top of this review – is there anything else to be said? That’s the question in my mind, as these vintages tend to be well received and generally of a high standard.
While that’s true of ‘96s from this distillery, situated just outside of Fort William, the same cannot be said of other distilleries. Sure, some do have their moments and others are waiting patiently to be discovered by enthusiasts as a rich vein of form is revealed. I’d love to tell you that you should buy Mannochmore or look out for a particular vintage, but the single cask format is difficult terrain, especially if you’re seeking gold. It is variable by nature and that’s what makes it so captivating to explore.
When faced with this sample that Angus kindly sent over to review, my thoughts drifted back to the official Ben Nevis Batch 1 Cask Strength release – remember that one? The bottling that had a backstory about the distillery team asking for stock to make it happen, or something along those lines. I’ll feature a quote regarding this further down that’s sourced from the Whiskybase page which has the detailed information. This was before the realisation that a large proportion of Japanese whisky isn’t what you might have anticipated. Sure, some of us had our suspicions and joked about it, but the sheer foundation that Ben Nevis provides to the whisky realm in Japan was underestimated.
A large proportion of Nevis stock does head to Japan, where it is rightfully prized and used to underpin some recognisable creations. Leaving less here to be deployed and impasse was underlined when the staple 10 year old (bottled at 46%) really started to receive universal acclaim. The 10 year old cask strength bottling when it hit the market, was just under £100, prompting many I know to shun the release. ‘Oh, its too much’ and comments of that ilk flowed. I get that there’s a psychological barrier around going from 2 digits to 3 for many and even before we faced the higher cost of living in 2022. I had to source a couple of bottles at retail for international friends who did appreciate the wares of Ben Nevis. This was only in 2018, but my goodness it feels like a lifetime ago in whisky.
Pricing is an issue with these ’96 Ben Nevis bottlings as their popularity endures. The Whisky Exchange do tend to push the envelope on these, and at times, the ones I’ve had have been too sherried. An unfashionable viewpoint? Perhaps, but I really don’t care, so I was pleasantly pleased to see this Whisky Sponge #52 bottling was matured in a refill hogshead, it has (unsurprisingly) sold out, so the pricing clearly wasn’t a detraction for many; such is the allure of the ’96 vintage.
Getting back to the cask strength 10yo, I’ve been slowly extending the life of the bottle which is quite low now after all these years. Whenever I return to it, I’m always reminded of Colin Ross who managed Ben Nevis, but was also a notable figure at Tormore and also Laphroaig. Sadly, he passed away last year, and the Oban Times obituary gives you a slight insight into his career. A fantastic man, with a wonderful knowledge of whisky, you may have recognised him manning the Ben Nevis stand at various events on the festival circuit. If Colin was behind the stand, then you were guaranteed a warm welcome and an encyclopaedic knowledge about the whisky to hand and the industry in general.
I do recall at one event, watching Colin in action and wondering if those visiting the stand actually knew who he was? And the opportunity that his presence provided. I suspect not, and at these festivals from my own experience, you’ll have tried to have a discussion with a representative only to be consistently interrupted with attendees shoving empty glasses into your personal space (it does exist, please be considerate) and disrupt any meaningful conversation. So, eventually you give up, but despite my battered experience, Colin was always available and I suspect, at the bar, would have been a wonderful companion. A regret is I never did get to speak to him about his time at Tormore which would have been fascinating. That’s a missed opportunity, as I’m not shy in general, I suppose I was being respectful. Imagine the brass neck of having a conversation at a Ben Nevis stand about life at Tormore decades prior. Showing some respect, although I really doubt Colin would have minded whatsoever, such was his love of whisky in general.
So, when I reach for this sample bottle especially and in the future any Ben Nevis, it is partially to remember Colin and his efforts to provide us with whisky. Speaking of which, here’s that aforementioned quote:
“We ran out of whisky in our warehouse to continue with the sales of Ben Nevis 10 Years Old towards the end of 2017. The unprecedented demand for this expression, combined with an instruction from our parent company to cut back on what spirit we were laying down in our own name caused this problem. In October of 2017 my son and I visited our parent company in Japan and informed them of the situation and advised that a major competitor had considerable stocks that they were prepared to sell but as we did not have the necessary funding, we had hoped that we could borrow from them but to be told that they were not prepared to lend us the money. However, they were prepared to purchase these stocks to be held own their name. We expected this to be fine thinking that we could buy back from them as and when required. This proved not to be the case as when we ran out of stock in March or April of last year, they did not offer to sell us any of their Ben Nevis stock., so we had no alternative but to promote our MacDonald’s Traditional and 12 Years Old Nevis Dew instead. As we were aware of the stocks all matured in fresh dumped bourbon, sherry and wine casks we decided to vat these and sell as Batch No.1 but we were unable to get this to market until just before Christmas. As we had no available stock in refill casks to make a similar vatting to our normal 10 Years Old, we had to sell this as a different product and unfortunately at a higher price.”
I suspect we’ll see Ben Nevis go from strength to strength in the coming years, as it will have the ability to support a wider range of releases. I’m excited by the prospect and while these 1996 releases are becoming unaffordable to many, you can pick up younger releases that offer you insight into how characterful the distillate is. The SMWS springs to mind, having released some younger bottlings that delight on the price versus experience formula, or even just dig into the official range. I haven’t caught up with the new look variants as of yet, my only hope is that they improved the corks as some of the official releases once opened, didn’t offer a robust seal.
Review
1996, refill hogshead, 213 bottles, 50.1% ABV
Now sold out and available via the secondary market
Nose
Immediately ticking the boxes of expectation. This is fruity and the sweet end of the fruitiness scale. Vanilla poached pears, pink lady apples, grapefruit. Yeah, it has that old school vibe. Wet new metal sheets. Nougat, pine needles and it has a minerality that I always appreciate comes through nicely.
Palate
Harmonious, like all memorable whiskies. A rarity in that most of those nosing characteristics come through on the palate. Spun sugar, ripe meadow fruits, lime zest, or even a lime cheesecake and more grapefruit and papaya. Very tropical with the emphasis on the green side of the equation with mangoes and coconut ice. Wine gums and more of that minerality as well.
The Dregs
An excellent drop that has been given time to mature and hasn’t become overpowered by the wood. A symphony of aromas and flavours that underline the benefits of patience and also the joys of Ben Nevis. A whisky to savour as you remember those that have moved on and reflect on past joys and all the madness of the last couple of years. A whisky that gives you hope for the future.
Score: 8/10
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