Ben Nevis 23 yo 1996 / 2019 Single Malts of Scotland for the Nectar #536 51.3% vs A Speyside Distillery 32 yo 1989 / 2022 Thompson Bros 51.4%
Ben Nevis 23 yo 1996 / 2019 Single Malts of Scotland for the Nectar #536 51.3%
Fruity for a Ben Nevis, sweet with golden syrup tinned yellow peaches and mango sauce poured into hot pans oily with rendered fat and seared herbs. A fat spirit heavy with butter, nutty oils, clean earth and plenty of that Ben Nevis sulphuric sparkle, like struck gunpowder. Burnt ends and seared pork rind. The palate shows it to be every bit the big boned whisky it suggests, and it doesn’t want to go anywhere fast. I am not always a big fan of that sulphuric sparkle, but here it is well executed. 89 pts
A Speyside Distillery 32 yo 1989 / 2022 Thompson Bros 51.4%
One of a raft of unnamed Speyside malts from the late 80s to the 90s that’s been released in the last couple of years. These seem to be generally good, this one however is really good – top to toe a soft round speysider, perfectly matured in refill bourbon. Sweet clean oak, coconut flakes, vanilla cream speak of the cask and embellishes a mature malt, full and round, filled with the sunny glories of ripe orchard fruit, honey sweetened sour juice, and fields of wild flowers, the air heavy with pollen and buttery malt. The mouth is coating and weighty with oil, again juicily sour like starfruit and green plums. Powdered nutmeg and cardamom does make an entrance and behind a little camphor and terpenes completes the multihued picture. Excellent. 91 pts
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