A History of Ben Nevis

Ben Nevis is nestled, as its name suggests, below Scotland's highest mountain, not far from Fort William in the Western Highlands. While Ben Nevis cedes the title of highest working distillery to Dalwhinnie and Braeval, it can lay claim to the highest water source in Scotland – Allt a’Mhuillin – whose waters flow down from the mountain itself.

Early Days

One of the oldest licenced distilleries in Scotland, Ben Nevis was founded in 1825 by John MacDonald, memorably known as 'Long John'. Passing on to his son, Peter, who built an extremely successful business of it by the end of the nineteenth century. A second distillery was erected alongside the first, to keep up with demand, and up to 200 people were employed by the business.

Rise, fall, and rise

As with so much of the Scotch industry's history, the good times did not last, and the twentieth century was rather more challenging. By 1908 Ben Nevis was back down to one distillery, and that was only in intermittent production for the next few decades, despite the efforts of the postwar owner, Joseph Hobbs (a colourful Canadian, reputedly a bootlegger during Prohibition). 

Changes in ownership and varying fortunes continued on until 1981, when Ben Nevis was bought by the Whitbread brewery's whisky division. In an odd turn of fate, that division's name was Long John International. While they did refurbish the distillery, this was a bad time to be investing in whisky production. A further change of hands in 1989 saw ownership move to Nikka Whisky, which still uses a large proportion of Ben Nevis' output for its blended whiskies.

The making of a Ben Nevis whisky

Under Nikka's auspices, Ben Nevis is once more a name to know and, between its focused core range and the delightful variety of independent bottlings, there are many drams to nose.

Ben Nevis is rare for using brewer's yeast alongside the more commonly used distiller's yeast, which they believe enhances the flavour complexity and mouthfeel. Where most distilleries have moved to more efficient processes for fermentation, Ben Nevis considers the lower yield a price worth paying.

The stills used by Ben Nevis are distinctive – almost dumpy, with wide necks, no reflux ball and an almost horizontal lyne arm. This encourages a distillation process with minimal copper contact, for a weighty and oily, new-make spirit.

A rich, distinctive dram

While the plethora of independent bottlings broaden greatly what you can experience from a dram of Ben Nevis, the distillery's spirit is full-bodied and rich. A classic highland single malt of the richer stripe, expect lots of tropical and dried fruit alongside nuts, coffee and dark chocolate, some coastal influence and even smokiness in some expressions. It is famous for an almost 'meaty' quality, a tasting note that sounds like a put-down, but that slight funkiness is essential to the reputation of Ben Nevis' whisky.

Starters for 10

The Ben Nevis 10 Year Old shows off that classic character to fine effect, appending it with orange zest and spice on the palate and a long, spicy and sweet finish. For those who might want a lighter entry point, the Whisky Show's 2024 vibrant, balanced bottling of a Ben Nevis 2013 10 Year Old is a touch lighter and leaves the smoke behind, while still bringing notes of peach cobbler, caramel, cinnamon and baked fruit. You even have a choice of three whisky lovers' faces from The Whisky Exchange team to choose from on the label: ambassador Billy Abbott, buying director Dawn Davies and shops manager Alex Huskinson.

A taste of the past

Ben Nevis is often described as an old-fashioned single malt, and this is by no means an insult. Aficionados of the distillery’s whisky see in its output a personality and heft that modern whisky-making techniques are sometimes accused of sanding away. There's an oiliness and weight, even a hint of sulphur, that marks out a Ben Nevis.

A classic example here would be The Single Malts of Scotland's Ben Nevis 9 Year Old from its Small Batch Series: richness meeting char, with concentrated ripe fruit, chocolate and nut, even as peppery spice interplays with lush fruit at the finish.

Youthful intensity

For an opportunity to see how Ben Nevis develops, look to Caoineag, The Weeping Spirit, a 6 Year Old Ben Nevis, made with heavily peated barley, matured in refill sherry butts and exclusively bottled for The Whisky Exchange. The smoke is intense and higher in the mix and the fruitiness is accented by sharper citrus, but even when young, the complexity of a good Ben Nevis still comes through on a release like this.

Built for age

As might be expected from a whisky known for a certain degree of intensity, Ben Nevis ages well, and this is an area where independent bottlings shine. Take the Macbeth Ross 28 Year Old from the extraordinary collaborative series between Livingstone, Elixir Distillers and national treasure Quentin Blake, for example. The extra time in refill hogsheads gives Ben Nevis' fat, fruit-driven spirit time to mature and soften, but this is still a whisky with real power. At this age, the fruit notes are still bright, but the influence of the wood harmonises with the meaty notes, teasing further complexity and depth from the spirit.

Visiting Ben Nevis

Given that the distillery takes its name from one of the most climbed mountains in the UK and is situated right by the regional hub Fort William, you'll be in good company if you want to visit Ben Nevis. It's far enough out into the western Highlands that you're three hours from Glasgow by car, or four by train. That said, when surrounded with scenery so beautiful and sipping on whisky so remarkable, why would you want to hurry?