McDonald's Celebrated Traditional Ben Nevis

46%, Non Chill Filtered, Natural colour Smell: Intense seaside or lakeside air, sweet smoke, deep honey, toffee, and blossoms. Taste: Gentle sweet smoke, brown sugar, scorched toffee, cooked ginger, and a soft, almost cake-like, biscuit texture. This Ben Nevis expression is said to be modeled after the Victorian formula that propelled the distillery to its peak renown. I appreciate peat and Ben Nevis, so this piqued my curiosity. I certainly enjoy it; the bottle has "vanished" and is almost empty. I've found this to be the cleanest Ben Nevis I've sampled, and it's certainly the least waxy I've encountered so far – not a negative, but not typical Ben Nevis. It's a very straightforward spirit that's easy to consume; it presents a large wave of peat, then other notes, and then it's gone, much like the liquid in the glass. Its simplicity is such that during a recent bonfire, when the cold air dissipated the spirit's peatiness, as I find happens with most smoky whiskies, little else remained. I've observed on numerous occasions that winter's chill often reveals subtle notes hidden within other peated whiskies. This spirit brings to mind a Nikka smoky whisky I recently tasted; it's clearly related to Ben Nevis but misses some characteristics that define Ben Nevis. I would absolutely purchase this if I desired something from the distillery and my reserve of other Ben Nevis bottlings was depleted. I wouldn't select it over the 10-year-old, but I would consider it instead of the Coire Leis and some independent bottlings.

My inaugural experience with Ben Nevis, a distillery I've noticed frequently of late. This represents the most traditional expression, bottled at 46% abv. On the nose: Honey, Malt, and Cereal. Quite delicate. Dry grass; Hay. Characteristic of a highland malt. Caramel develops after the initial taste. Malted barley. On the palate: More of the same profile, very direct. Pleasant caramel. Vanilla. Extremely easy to drink. Cereal and Honey. The aftertaste is not spicy at all. A honeyed finish. Resembles breakfast cereal with honey. A very one-dimensional whisky, feeling like a standard dram. Good flavor, but definitely suited for beginners. Scored 66 out of 100.

I sampled the peated variety. It was an acceptable to good pour. I would not actively search for it, but I would order it if I encountered it.

A very subtly smoked whisky with a delightful taste!

Sweet, smoky, a bit medicinal, each sip is different.

A very mild and gentle flavor.