September began with a week in Campbeltown with a Kilkerran trio (here, here and here). It continued with a week of island distilleries (here, here, and here) and then a week that featured an English distillery (here) and two Speyside distilleries (here and here). Let’s close the month out now with a week of distilleries in the Scottish highlands. I’ll start with a bourbon cask Ben Nevis.

This 12 yo appears to have been a private cask bottling. It was bottled to mark someone’s bat mitzvah. And as per the rear label picture on Whiskybase, it had been distilled on the day that person was born and was then bottled on the day of their bat mitzvah. It must have taken some doing to make this happen. I assume the birthday cask was identified closer to the time of bottling than of filling—otherwise you’d be taking the chance that this special commemorative whisky might turn out to be a dud. Though it’s true that young bourbon cask Ben Nevis is usually a good bet. The yield was 293 bottles from an ex-bourbon cask (presumably a hogshead) and that probably explains how a bottle ended up in the possession of the person I got a part of a bottle split from. Let’s see what it’s like.

Ben Nevis 12, 2009 (62.7%; ex-bourbon; from a bottle split)

Nose: That very Ben Nevis mineral profile with lemon zest and chalk and yeast and white pepper mixed in with a touch of gasoline. Continues in this vein for a while with some of the sweeter fruit from the palate poking through as well after a while. With more time there’s more of the sweet fruit along with some malt and a bit of vanilla. A few drops of water push back the mineral notes, turn the citrus to citronella, and pull out some cream.

Palate: Comes in as indicated by the nose but with some sweeter fruit mixed in as well (cantaloupe, kiwi). Quite approachable at full strength; rich texture. With time the sweeter notes expand a bit and the yeasty/chalky complex recedes. Let’s see what water does for it. Ah yes, there’s a lot of tart-sweet fruit now (more melon, some Makrut lime)

Finish: Long. The yeast and the lemon zest dominate here. There’s a little bit of a beany note at the end. As on the palate with time. As on the palate with water.

Comments: Well, as I said, young bourbon cask Ben Nevis is usually a safe bet. This was good from the get-go but better on the palate with a bit of water.

Rating: 87 points.