Ben Nevis 2012/2025 - 12 yo - 1st Fill Ruby Port Butt #1982 (Best Dram)

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 57.8% | Chill filtration: No

Special Features:

For this Best Dram release, Ben Nevis whisky distilled in 2012 matured in a first-fill Ruby Port butt. The butt had previously been an old Tawny Port cask and was later used to transport Ruby Port. That cask history is as distinctive as the unexpectedly bright fruit notes and impression of shortcrust pastry.

Ben Nevis distilled the single malt on 7 December 2012. Michel Reick bottled it for Best Dram from cask 1982 on 16 January 2025. This 12-year-old single-cask whisky yielded 540 bottles at 57.8% ABV; it is neither chill-filtered nor coloured.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: Blackberries and other ripe fruits appear on the nose alongside milk chocolate, with a delicate hint of smoke and spices also emerging. Brighter notes of green apple and nectarine mingle with buttery tart pastry.
• Palate: On the palate, fruity sweetness and pastry notes meet ripe apple, with a hint of white pepper adding spice. Cherries, honey, malt and light cocoa complement the oily mouthfeel.
• Finish: Fruity sweetness and an impression of tart pastry linger on the finish. Blackberries, peppery malt, vanilla and orange peel remain present too.

Distillery/Bottler:

The Ben Nevis distillery stands near Fort William at the foot of the mountain of the same name. John MacDonald founded it in 1825. After a halt in production and its acquisition by Nikka, distillation resumed in 1990. Michel Reick is an independent bottler who selects individual casks from Scottish distilleries and releases them, among others, in his Best Dram range. For this release, Ben Nevis made the whisky, while Best Dram selected the single cask and bottled the whisky from it.

Facts: