Ben Nevis Single Malt Scotch Whisky 28 Years Old 1996 700ml | 47.8%

A classic legendary vintage of Ben Nevis from Thompson Bros, this time in a single refill sherry butt. 

The label pays homage to a legendary figure in global whisky history: Masataka Taketsuru. Taketsuru was the man who brought whisky to Japan, after a trip to Scotland to study whisky making, he came back and founded the company which became Nikka Whisky. 

Nikka Whisky bought the Ben Nevis distillery in 1989 to help with their production of world blend whiskies. Thompson Bros decided to put Taketsuru on their label to celebrate the more recent history of Ben Nevis distillery, as without Nikka, Ben Nevis whisky may have been lost to history. 

Official tasting notes:

Nose: Lychees, cashew, mango vinegar, pomelo. Loquats soaked in beeswax, Cedar of Lebanon, olive oil, with time sour notes begin to appear, sour and nutty like manchego, brioche, strawberry and a drop of soy.

Palate: Waxy red grapes, candied almonds. Then, peach, banana and mango (woah), some slight ashiness (felt but not tasted, does that make sense?) The sherry is there in body but less so in spirit, this is pure distillate driven tropicality.

Finish: More of the same gorgeous island fruits and then some bitter notes from the sherry on the last vestiges of the finish, dark chocolate, coffee and the like. Lasts approximately 20-25 minutes. Will remember forever.

Thompson Bros:

After establishing one of the world’s leading whisky bars in Dornoch, brothers Phil & Simon Thompson expanded their vision by creating their own independent bottling company titled Thompson Bros. In addition to this new endeavour, they also began distilling whisky and gin onsite at Dornoch Castle Hotel. Since 2017 they have been releasing outstanding whisky and rums through their Thompson Bros label as well as laying down hundreds of casks filled with soon to be Dornoch Whisky.