Ben Nevis 20 Years Old 1996 Cask #1650 (Elixir)

Bottled by Elixir Distillers in 2017 as a 20 year old single cask release drawn from cask 1650 of 1996 vintage Ben Nevis with 467 bottles distributed to the German market at cask strength of 54.6%. Elixir Distillers is a UK based independent bottler under Speciality Drinks Ltd, with imprints including The Single Malts of Scotland and Port Askaig.

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 a single Oloroso sherry cask for 20 years of on site maturation.

Extended maturation drove European oak Oloroso sherry chemistry. Ellagitannins and gallic acid from the European oak build dried walnut and grip, while oxidative aldehydes including acetaldehyde and syringaldehyde develop nutty, leathery rancio. Sotolon adds dried fig and curry leaf, with concentration of glycerol lending body, integrated with Ben Nevis's heavy, oily Western Highland character at 54.6%.