Ben Nevis 1966 Rare Reserve 55 yo - Signatory #2456+2457+2458

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 45.3% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

Three Hogsheads and 55 years of maturation define this Rare Reserve from Signatory Vintage. The single malt was distilled at Ben Nevis on 22 April 1966 and matured in casks 2456, 2457 and 2458. Andrew Symington selected the three casks for this release; the whisky was bottled in a total of 99 decanters on 1 May 2021.

After this long maturation, the natural cask strength is 45.3%. The whisky has no added colouring and is bottled without chill filtration. Each bottle contains 0.7 litres and is individually numbered. It comes with a black premium box featuring gold-coloured details and a viewing window.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: Ripe nectarines and light-coloured grapes appear first. Sweet vanilla and a delicate woody note accompany the fruit, while malt remains subtly in the background.
• Palate: Caramelised peaches combine with spicy oak, joined by vanilla cream and white grapes. The mouthfeel is both oily and dry.
• Finish: The dry note of old oak comes forward on the finish, accompanied by delicate malt. Soft caramel lingers gently.

Distillery/Bottler:

Ben Nevis lies near Fort William at the foot of its namesake mountain in the western Highlands. John MacDonald, known as “Long John”, founded the distillery in 1825. Its water comes from the Allt a’ Mhuilinn, which is fed by the mountain lochs Coire Leis and Coire na Ciste. The distillery’s history also includes an unusual period of production: following the installation of a Coffey Still in 1955, Ben Nevis produced both malt and grain whisky for a time. This release is a single malt.

Signatory Vintage is the independent bottler of this whisky. Andrew Symington founded the company with his brother in 1988, having developed a deep interest in single-cask whiskies while working at the Prestonfield House Hotel in Edinburgh. The purchase of Edradour distillery in 2002 provided a new location for the company; by 2007, the operation had moved entirely to Pitlochry. Selecting rare cask stocks and providing detailed information on distillation, maturation and bottling are central to Signatory Vintage’s approach.

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