The Original Collection is the Cadenhead way of keeping quiet. No cask stories on the front, no series names with swords and mountains, just distillery, vintage and strength. The rest has to stand up in the glass.
The expert's description
Ben Nevis 2012/2025 Cadenhead's 13 years Original Collection is a Single Highland Malt Whisky matured in bourbon hogsheads and Oloroso hogsheads and bottled at 46 % without chill filtration and without added colour.
The Original Collection is the standing range of the house, where the whisky is bottled at 46 % rather than at cask strength so it is ready to drink straight away. The series still uses neither colouring nor chill filtration, and the cask types are not hidden.
The two cask types pull in different directions. The bourbon wood gives the brightness and the sweet core, while Oloroso lays the darker, nuttier layers on top. Thirteen years is enough for the muscle of the Ben Nevis spirit to remain intact underneath the cask influence.
Tasting notes
Nose
Biscotti and clootie dumpling, the Scottish steamed pudding full of dried fruit. Apricot marmalade and a sneeze of ginger on top.
Palate
Walnut whip and golden syrup, soft and sweet, with spiced cardamom buns adding warmth and bite.
Finish
Hazelnut and cocoa slide into blackcurrant, fading out on a dark, slightly bitter note.
Specifications
Name: Ben Nevis 2012/2025 Cadenhead's 13 år Original Collection
Distillery: Ben Nevis
Bottler: Cadenhead's
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Single Highland Malt Whisky
Age: 13 years
ABV: 46 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon hogsheads and Oloroso hogsheads
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2012
Bottled: 2025
Edition: Original Collection
Flavour profile
Sherry matured · Nutty · Spiced · Fruity · Full bodied
Investment potential
Medium. Cadenhead bottlings are made in limited parcels and not repeated, and the house has a steady following among collectors. Ben Nevis is also a distillery where independent releases are in demand, since official bottlings are few.
Did you know?
Cadenhead moved from Aberdeen to Campbeltown in the 1970s, when J & A Mitchell, the owners of Springbank, bought the firm at auction. The stocks came along, and the house has bottled from the same site as the distillery ever since.
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