Ben Nevis 7 Years Old 2016 (Best Dram)

Bottled by Best Dram in 2023 as a 7 year old release of 2016 vintage Ben Nevis with 228 bottles distributed to the German market at cask strength of 55.6%. Best Dram is a German independent bottling project focused on hand selected single cask releases at natural strength.

Distilled at Ben Nevis distillery in Fort William at the foot of the highest mountain in the British Isles, founded in 1825 by John "Long John" McDonald and owned by Nikka Whisky Distilling under Asahi Group since 1989. The wash uses unpeated malted barley with soft Allt a'Mhuilinn burn water from springs on the slopes of Ben Nevis, fermented for around 48 hours with brewer's pressed yeast in eight washbacks of stainless steel and Oregon pine. Ben Nevis runs two wash and two spirit stills, the wash stills tubular with plain deep bases, the spirit stills cone shaped with deep bases, all steam heated through shell and tube condensers. The spirit was filled into Oloroso sherry and red wine for 7 years of on site maturation.

Early stage maturation showed layered cask character. The Oloroso stage built European oak ellagitannins for dried walnut and oxidative rancio aldehydes. The red wine stage added tannins, anthocyanin pigments, and red berry character from grape skin contact, integrated with Ben Nevis's heavy, oily Western Highland character at 55.6%.