2004 Hidden Spirits Ben Nevis Heavily Peated 13 Year Old 'Highproof' Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

A highly unusual bottling that's simply packed with flavour. In January 2004, Ben Nevis broke with tradition to produce a run of heavily peated spirit. Drawn from cask BN417 (one of the initial 83 hogsheads that were filled) it's another fantastic selection from Italian bottler, Andrea Ferrari's Hidden Spirits collection. Ferrari proudly chooses casks after a rigorous 24 hours of tastings. Once at night before bed. In the morning and just before lunch. If the whisky doesn’t intrigue, impress and fulfill the task each tasting then it's not accepted.

Tasting note: Pale straw gold. Orchard fruit and smoke interchange as the bouquet flip-flops between the two, the peat adding a toasty quality to the barley. Oily, sweet peat puts another layer to the already succulent malt; feathery spices fan out in beautiful fashion. Fresh, fruity and oily to finish. Super length. Ben Nevis peated to perfection. 57.5% Alc./Vol.

Other reviews... From that lovely mint chocolate ice cream school of smokey noses; beautifully soft landing on the palate with buttercream glaze carrying the phenol; like a smokey coffee Swiss Roll....all the usual Nevis idiosyncrasies plus a delicious smoked story line.
90.5 points - Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2018