The first stand that I visited at the recent Limburg Whisky Fair was The Whisky Agency. To say hello to organisers Meike and Carsten, but also to have a look at their latest selections of course. It was an impressive line-up, nicely presented in wooden display holders.
Ben Nevis 30 yo 1996 (43,4%, The Whisky Agency ‘Made for Friends’ 2026, sherry butt, 447 btl.)
Nose: the sherry leads but not for long. Acacia honey, a hint of tobacco and some oily notes. Later also walnuts, one or two drops of cold coffee and hints of ink. Hints of allspice. Chalky notes. After a while the fruits have their say, think tangerines, pink grapefruit, unripe mango and our beloved hints of maracuya. High complexity.
Mouth: the exotic fruits are clearly noticeable, even when they’re less explosive than in non-sherry casks. More nutty notes, salty drops, herbal extracts and a little cumin. Perhaps a little more oak than in other 1996s too. Then sharper lemons, orange bitters and sourish berries, just a wee lactic hint (buttermilk) and nice chalk. Trademark minerals as well.
Finish: long, with flashes of brighter tropical notes, walnuts, grapefruits and leafy notes.
As you may know I tend to hope for a non-sherry cask when it comes to Ben Nevis. However in this case it doesn’t overpower the core elements in any way and it causes the complexity to go through the roof. Excellent.
Ben Nevis 30 yo 1996 (45,3%, The Whisky Agency & Sansibar 2026, hogshead)
Nose: a peculiar mix of creamy (almost buttery) notes, bright citrus (lemon, grapefruit peelings) and a hint of wet cardboard, which works pretty well here. Eventually there are also melons, green mangoes and plenty of chalk. Also more waxy notes than in the sherry cask.
Mouth: very fruity now – more on the green / yellow side than the tropical side. Really juicy though, with apple, plums and lemons, with a hint of passion fruit as a bonus. Then some dried ginger, light honey and white flowers in the background, along with subtle nutty notes.
Finish: long, spot-on, with lingering fruits and light rooty notes.
Also very good. The juiciness of this Ben Nevis is pretty remarkable, even though the fruitiness is a bit on the greener side. Score: 90/100
Bowmore 20 yo 2005 (48,8%, The Whisky Agency ‘Made for Friends’ 2026, refill sherry hogshead, 269 btl.)
Nose: a wonderful blend of elegant and mild smoke with atlantic sea spray and bright citrus fruits. Sour lemon juice and green apple, some sweeter honey, even hints of aromatic peach. Nice mineral aromas, along with some refreshing white wine and a whiff of vanilla cake with lemon frosting.
Mouth: a slightly sweeter onset than I expected, really chewy too. Honeyed notes, along with sweet herbal syrup. Then tropical fruits come out, like pineapple, lime and guava. More stone-y hints after a while, as well as sweet malt, a little pepper and vanilla again. Salted caramel in the distance, and very little smoke.
Finish: quite long, with more tropical fruits, a drying mineral edge and some oak.
I love this one! The weight, the tropical fruits and the elegant smokiness. Perfect strength as well – this is a brilliant Bowmore. If you told me I could only buy one bottling from the current batch, it would probably be this one. Score: 91/100