New 13 yr Ben Nevis Port Wood Finish

by **lbacha** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 12:44 pm

Hello

I just purchased a bottle of the new 13 yr Port Wood finished Ben Nevis. I tried it at Whisky Live Belgium and it is a very interesting Dram, alot of port for only being in the port pipe for around a year. My question is about the bottling date. The bottle says 2004 even though I know they were waiting on labels as of Whisky Live Belgium, I'm curious if this is a misprint or if they bottled it 2 years ago and just now released it. I got it at Robertsons in Pitlocry and they said it was the new release. I may be way off and there may actually be a 2004 bottling in a port wood finish. The Date distilled is 1990 and they make reference to it being one of the first barrels filled after the shut down so the dates match the 2004 bottling date.

Thanks Len

by **Deactivated Member** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 1:22 pm

Interested to know how much you paid for it.

I went to the distillery last week and wanted to buy a bottle. They told me to go on a tour and buy the bottle afterwards as I would get the cost of the tour refunded when I bought the bottle. Unfortunately they sold all their stock whilst I was on the tour (which was pants anyway). I was spitting feathers.

by **lbacha** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 1:26 pm

I paid 50 Pounds for it

Len

by **Lawrence** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 3:39 pm

It seems they also have it at LFW for now, they state that it's a limited release of 800 bottles.

by **lbacha** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 3:47 pm

That's what the bottle states as well mine is number 163 of 800

Len

by **Deactivated Member** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 5:47 pm

I picked up a bottle in LFW a couple of weeks ago. Had a sample courtesy of Laura and tought it was quite fruity and really quite smooth - lack of burn - for a high ABV.
Didn't notice if my bottle is numbered. Too busy cracking open my Blavenie 15

I suppose it will be if they only released 800. I'll check when I get home.

by **The Dazzler** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 8:20 pm

Hi Ibacha,

the label on these Ben nevis bottles are correct. They were bottled in 2004 and were reviewed around a year ago to have made it into Jim Murrays bible 2006. The story I have been given on this bottle was that it was bottled in 2004 however has taken so long to be released due to different sections of the parent company making decisions on it. The ben nevis distillery is owned by Japanese, (Nikka). Seemingly once bottled the owners had concerns that the colour of the whisky was too red for release and has hung around in storage whilst a decision to release it or not was made.

For me the colour is certainly a talking point however others such as Bruichladdich Flirtation and Arran Port have been just as colourful.

Slainte!

by **lbacha** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 7:04 am

The Dazzler wrote:Hi Ibacha,

the label on these Ben nevis bottles are correct. They were bottled in 2004 and were reviewed around a year ago to have made it into Jim Murrays bible 2006. The story I have been given on this bottle was that it was bottled in 2004 however has taken so long to be released due to different sections of the parent company making decisions on it. The ben nevis distillery is owned by Japanese, (Nikka). Seemingly once bottled the owners had concerns that the colour of the whisky was too red for release and has hung around in storage whilst a decision to release it or not was made.

For me the colour is certainly a talking point however others such as Bruichladdich Flirtation and Arran Port have been just as colourful.

Slainte!

Thanks for the info I hadn't even checked the bible to see if it was in there. I agree about being a smooth dram for almost 62% it doesn't burn like you would think.

Len