Ben Nevis 10 Years Old Glencoe Blended Malt Scotch Whisky 46%

Glencoe is the glen where the mountains close in on the road and the light only reaches the bottom for a couple of hours a day. A whisky carrying the name of that valley is not supposed to be light. It is meant to hold some of the same weight, and it does.

The expert's description

Ben Nevis 10 Glencoe is a Blended Malt Scotch Whisky matured in oak casks and bottled at 46 % without chill filtration.

A blended malt consists purely of malt whisky from several distilleries, meaning no grain whisky at all. Glencoe is built on malt from the Ben Nevis distillery at the foot of the highest mountain in Scotland and is bottled with ten years as the guaranteed minimum age.

The 46 % and the absence of chill filtration are chosen to keep the oils in the whisky. That gives a thicker texture and a more complex nose than an equivalent blended malt at 40 % would carry, and it is one reason the bottling has stayed in the range.

Tasting notes

Nose

Ripe banana and orange marmalade first, then spiced oak and toasted nuts.

Palate

Soft and mouth filling with an elegant fruit sweetness. Orange and banana step forward first, then spice and dark chocolate add depth.

Finish

Long and soft, with chocolate and spiced notes travelling together all the way out.

Specifications

Name: Ben Nevis 10 år Glencoe
Distillery: Ben Nevis
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 10 years
ABV: 46 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Oak casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Edition: Glencoe

Flavour profile

Fruity · Spiced · Full bodied · Nutty · Soft

Did you know?

The Ben Nevis distillery was founded in 1825 by John Macdonald, known as Long John for his height. The name was later sold on as a trademark and ended up on a whisky quite different from what the distillery makes itself.

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Frequently asked questions about Ben Nevis 10 Glencoe

What separates blended malt from blended whisky?

A blended malt contains only malt whisky from several distilleries. An ordinary blended whisky mixes malt with grain whisky, which is lighter in style and made in continuous column stills. Glencoe belongs to the first category.

Is it peated?

No. Ben Nevis makes both peated and unpeated spirit, but Glencoe sits at the unpeated end with fruit and chocolate rather than peat smoke.

Why is it called Glencoe?

After Glen Coe in the western Highland, about an hour south of the distillery by road. The name points at the district rather than at a specific distillery, which makes sense for a blended malt.

What does non-chill filtered mean here?

That the natural oils and fatty acids stay in the whisky instead of being filtered out. It gives more texture, but the whisky can turn cloudy if you add cold water or ice.

Does it suit someone who knows Ben Nevis 10 single malt?

Yes, as a side note. Glencoe shares some of the same fruity weight but is rounder and less raw than the distillery own single malt. Taste them next to each other if you can.

What should you eat with it?

Dark chocolate or a mature cheese with a little nuttiness. The fruit sweetness and the chocolate in the finish meet both easily.