Swell De Spirits Ben Nevis 2012 First Fill Oloroso Cask
Key Facts About This Single Malt Scotch
Bottler: Swell De Spirits
Founder: Michael Barbaria
Range: Wonders Of The World #2
Distillery: Ben Nevis
Age: 8 years old
Distilled: December 2012
Bottled: August 2021
Region: Highland, Scotland
Spirit: Single malt scotch
Cask Type: Single first fill oloroso cask
Alcohol by Volume: Cask strength at 59.2%
Bottled: Natural colour and without chill filtration
Outturn: 392 bottles
Bottle Size: 500ml
Ben Nevis 8 Year Old Tasting Notes
Official tasting notes, neat
Nose: An oily dram for all seasons. Summer Alpine meadows full of edelweiss. Springtime lily of the valley and forget-me-nots. Autumnal orchards on a rainy day. Red apples, dunnage and hot porridge with golden syrup on a cold winter's day. Confectioner's delight with white chocolate, lemon bonbons, butterscotch, caramels, clove balls, chocolate and raspberry cakes coated with coconut flakes. Tiramisu, crème brûlée topped with burnt sugar and a little icing sugar, and sugary cinnamon doughnuts. Plus a perfectly cooked tarte tatin served with a small slice of salty Brie.
Palate: It's a chewy dram with a thick mouthfeel. Spicy with cloves, cardamon, nutmeg, star anise and cinnamon. Followed by an afternoon treat of hot buttered toasted teacakes with orange peel and thick heather honey. A bowl of compôte and steaming mug of vanilla latte served on oak tables freshly polished with beeswax.
Finish: Dark chocolate enrobed ginger.
Official tasting notes, with water
Nose: Gentle watered, flowers bloom. There are honeysuckle and stocks, hyacinths and edelweiss. A table of desserts follow with custard doughnuts, Victoria sponge cake, and Viennese whirls dusted with icing sugar. Get ready for afternoon tea with orange blossom honey on a spiced scone with extra cinnamon. Then Bakewell tart, vanilla cheesecake, dark chocolate, butterscotch and liquorice.
Palate: It's lighter, sweeter and fresher with floral notes. The spices are there but muted, popping in oil, ready for diced lamb, served on an antique oak kitchen table. Fruit kicks in with peaches, apricots, pineapple, kumquats, strawberries, raspberries topped with a spicy syrup made with cloves and star anise. Red velvet cupcakes, plus lightly spiced apple strudel.
Finish: Much creamier, leading to a long and lingering finish. Peshwari naan, extra creamy, spiced kulfi, a wonderfully comforting dessert, and chai tea.
You can also read Ed's tasting notes in his review of Swell De Spirits Ben Nevis 2012 here.
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Meet The Founder
Michael Barbaria