Cadenhead Original Ben Nevis 11 Year

Tasting Notes

Andrew's Tasting Note

Nose: Meaty, sweaty, and cheesy, leaning hard into the funky side of things; there are fruits, but they are all distilled: Kirsch (cherry), Pear William, Peach, and Prune; the cheese didn't start blue, more like a Creme de Bourgogne left all day on the counter.

Palate: cheesy, funky, and a little rubber, this is a dirty Nevis... though not peated; the fruit notes are subtle, again more assorted eau de vie; porridge and white glue; root vegetables: carrots and turnips; assorted creamy cheeses after being left out for a long party.

Finish: carrot peel, Elmer's white glue, fruit eau de vie and more cheese; late malt and a bit of latex.

Comment: I don't love it, but I don't hate it either; this is a geek whisky, it is not for the casual drinker; probably could have done with another 11 years in the cask, but it is a window onto the Ben Nevis spirit profile!

Producer Tasting Notes

Nose: Apple strudel, grassy, icing sugar, white grapes, cinnamon.

Flavour: Creamy. Wholegrain cereal, malty, gooseberries.

Finish: Kiwi skin, flint notes, salted caramel, barley sugar & barley drops.

Distillery

The following was written by Andrew Ferguson for Celtic Life Magazine in 2020.

Ben Nevis distillery was established in Fort William in 1825 along the banks of the River Lochy, at the foot of Scotland’s tallest mountain, Ben Nevis. Though the distillery was founded by Angus McDonnell, it would be his kinsman, the literally larger-than-life ‘Long John’ McDonald, who would make the distillery famous. As you might have guessed from his name, ‘Long John’ was a giant, 6’4” and solidly built.

Above photo courtesy scotchwhisky.com. 

The British Empire was obsessed with Queen Victoria, and Queen Victoria with Scotland. Her subjects traveled north on the newly built railroads, deep into the Highlands to see what all the fuss was about. The town of Fort William and Ben Nevis became a popular attraction. Many of the visitors were not prepared for the conditions of the high mountains in the Highlands, where the weather can turn very quickly. When things went awry ‘Long John’ Macdonald, a well-known sportsman was often sent off to find them.

Long John’s fame spread across the United Kingdom when in 1841, the Duchess of Buccleuch failed to return from a trek up the misty mountain. Having set off in the dark with a large bell Long John returned later that evening with the young Lady and her party. Newspapers across the United Kingdom carried word of his heroics.

Long John McDonald became a partner in the distillery in 1830, taking full control the following year. He was a savvy businessman with a flair for publicity. Stories reported in the press in 1841 that the Duke of Sussex and King of Holland were among his customers. He sent a cask of Ben Nevis to Buckingham Palace to be opened on the 21st birthday of the newly born Prince of Wales, the future Edward VII. The Press ate the story up and his legend grew. In 1848, Queen Victoria paid his distillery a visit. Long John’s Ben Nevis whisky was a hit, selling all over the UK, but the ailing man had debts, massive debts. With a downturn in the market for Scotch whisky, and the banks unwilling to extend his loans, Long John Macdonald died bankrupt in 1856.

His son Donald stepped in, purchased the distillery, and revived its fortunes. He rebranded the whisky Long John’s Dew of Ben Nevis, put an age statement on the bottle and sales soared. In 1878 with demand for whisky surging again, Donald expanded the distillery. By 1886, when the Victorian whisky writer Alfred Barnard called on the distillery, it was distilled over 1 million liters a year, employing more than 230 men, and exporting Long John’s Dew of Ben Nevis all over the English speaking world.

The McDonald family retained control of the distillery until 1941. There would be a number of owners over the following fifty years, including Canadian booze baron Joseph Hobbs. But by 1986, surplus to demand, Ben Nevis Distillery was closed, as a market correction wrought devastation on the Scotch whisky industry as a whole. The closure was short-lived and the distillery’s prospects revived when in 1989 it was purchased by the Nikka Whisky Co. of Japan. Nikka’s interest in Ben Nevis was primarily to support their own Japanese Blended Whisky. It may come as a shock to many of you, but Japanese whisky producers are not prohibited from using foreign whisky in their bottlings, and most do, though the rules governing that are set to change. Currently, up to 75% of Ben Nevis’ production is sent to Japan every year.

Dire though this may sound, the takeover by the Japanese was not all bad. In 1991 the new owners opened a visitor center, and in 1996 they started bottling and selling Ben Nevis as a single malt. The distribution of official bottlings of the whisky is fairly limited but independent bottlings can be found with a little effort. Ben Nevis distilled in the mid-1990s has developed a bit of a cult following. Count yourself lucky if you are able to track down a bottle of Ben Nevis 10 Year, or better yet the newly released first batch of cask-strength whisky. The advert on the facing page features a stunning exclusive cask bottling of Ben Nevis I was fortunate to source for my store. And this is to say nothing of the lovely and award-winning Nikka From the Barrel Blended Japanese whisky, in which there is almost certainly a healthy dollop of ‘Long John’s Dew of Ben Nevis too!

Ben Nevis Distillery is located on the outskirts of Fort William, a scenic town that is the outdoor adventure sports capital of the UK. There is lots to do in the area from mountain biking and water sports to hiking and climbing the famous Ben Nevis. A trek up the mountain takes 4-8 hours depending on your level of fitness. Don’t get lost though, the mists hide dangerous cliffs, and Long John McDonald and his bell aren’t around to rescue folk any longer!

Independent Bottler

This text is from an article written by Andrew for Celtic Life Magazine in 2017.

As strange as it may sound, it is only in the last three to five decades that most distilleries have seen fit to bottle their own whiskies as single malts. Prior to that, the vast majority of whiskies distilled in Scotland were produced almost exclusively for blends. With few exceptions, most of the available single malts prior to the 1970s were bottled by independent bottlers like Gordon Macphail and WM Cadenhead. Distilleries like Glenfiddich, Macallan, Glenmorangie, Bowmore and Glenlivet began bottling their whiskies as single malts and exporting them globally, in the 1960s. Other distilleries would follow in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s. Some products - like John Dewar & Sons’ “The Last Great Malts” series - have only been launched in the last few years.

Independent bottlings are whiskies bottled by a third party and not the distillery which produced them. Not all distilleries actually bottle their whiskies as single malts and many that do, have limited ranges. Independent bottlings fill this niche in the market, generally releasing single casks and small batch single malts that can vary enormously from the distillery’s core offering. If you are a devoted single malt aficionado, chances are you’ve come across more than a few independent bottlings in your day. If you haven’t yet dipped your toes into the world of independent bottlings, then you may be missing out on some of the world’s finest whisky, and it is high time you took a look at what they have to offer.

The oldest - and one of the finest - of all the independents is WM Cadenhead’s. Established in 1842, Cadenhead’s, as they are affectionately known, is a stubbornly traditional firm, with an exceptional range of whiskies. Along with Gordon Macphail, Cadenhead’s is one of Scotland’s best independent bottlers, with a range of old whiskies that is envied by the rest of the industry. Until the last few years, Cadenhead whiskies were only available from their network of shops in the U.K. and Europe. The Small Batch line was created four years ago to satiate selected whisky specialists around the world, and to distribute the company’s aging overstock.

WM Cadenhead was acquired by J.A. Mitchell & Co. in 1972, the family-owned firm which also owns the Springbank and Glengyle distilleries. After acquiring Cadenhead’s, and its stocks of maturing whisky, Hedley Wright - J.A. Mitchell’s colourful chairman and owner - is said to have spent the next few decades wandering Scotland with his check book. Wright made frequent visits to “his friends” at various distilleries across Scotland, purchasing casks as he went. Hedley kept track of his acquisitions on a series of ledgers, releasing casks bit by bit to the team at Cadenhead’s for bottling. To this day, the firm doesn’t even know the full extent of the casks they are sitting on. However, so long as Hedley keeps the flow of rare and old whiskies coming, Cadenhead’s will continue to be one of Scotland’s most interesting independent bottlers.

Today, Cadenhead’s is headquartered in the scenic coastal town of Campbeltown on the Kintyre Peninsula, within walking distance from its sister businesses, the Springbank and Glengyle (Kilkerran) distilleries. The Cadenhead’s Shop and Whisky Tasting Room serves as a visitor center and retailer for the three brands. They offer daily tours and tastings Monday to Saturday. While Springbank Distillery may be the main draw, the Cadenhead Warehouse tour is not to be missed. Mark and or Cameron will take you into the bowels of a dark, dingy old dunnage warehouse to sample some stunning whiskies, right out of the cask.

Campbeltown is a bit of a trek, 4 hours by car from Glasgow, near the end of the Kintyre Peninsula. The town is charming, with much to see in the surrounding area, justifying at least a two-day visit. The world-famous Machrihanish Dunes Golf Course is just ten minutes away. In my opinion, Campbeltown is best seen in conjunction with the islands and Arran, Islay (and Jura) over a week-long tour. Caledonian Macbrayne, Scotland’s west coast ferry service, has a special pass for just such a route, called a Hop Scotch. But if Campbeltown is just too far to go, keep your eye open for one of the many other Cadenhead shops in Edinburgh, London, and across Europe. In Canada, Cadenhead Small Batch whiskies can be purchased from Kensington Wine Market in Calgary.

Cadenhead is celebrating its 175th Anniversary in 2017, so let’s raise a glass for their continued good spirits!