Nevis Dew Blue Label - 40%

 

Founded by ‘Long John’ MacDonald in 1825, Ben Nevis Distillery is one of the oldest licensed distilleries in Scotland. Situated at the foot of Britain's highest mountain, the distillery draws its water from the highest water source in Scotland, the Allt a’Mhuilinn which originates from two pools on Ben Nevis, namely Coire Leis and Coire na’Ciste.

The distillery has been owned  by the Japanese company Nikki Whisky Distilling Co., a subsidiary of Asahi Group Holdings since 1989. A significant amount of the spirit is exported to Japan each year to be used for blending. 

Whilst the distillery produces single malt under the Ben Nevis brand, the whisky is more commonly seen as independent bottlings. The whisky is also a key feature of the Nevis Dew blends.

Tasting notes:

Appearance: Pale straw, forms a thin line which beads before falling as thin, oily legs.

Nose: Cinder toffee sweetness and vanilla.

Palate: Creamy mouthfeel, followed by vanilla, lemon citrus, barley sugar sweets, a hint of fresh grass and soft baking spices.

Finish: Barley sugar and vanilla continue, along with cinnamon and a hint of nutmeg.

Summary: Quite sweet and one dimensional but still a pleasant dram. Priced just over £20 and 40% abv, as long as you keep your expectations realistic it’s decent value for money. Given the choice though, I’d probably opt for the slightly more expensive 12 year old bottling.

If you would like more information on this whisky, or the Ben Nevis distillery, follow the link to the company website.