Ben Nevis 1998/2025 Lady of the Glen 26 years old Single Highland Malt Whisky 43.2%

A refill hogshead gives up very little. It has been used before, the sugar layers are spent, and so it takes twenty-six years to reach where a first fill cask would have been at ten. In return, what you taste is the spirit and not the wood.

The expert's description

Ben Nevis 1998/2025 Lady of the Glen 26 years is a Single Highland Malt Whisky matured in a refill hogshead, cask no. 176, and bottled at 43.2 % without chill filtration and without added colour.

The whisky was distilled on 11 May 1998 and bottled on 4 April 2025. The cask yielded 276 bottles, and the strength of 43.2 % is what the cask gave after twenty-six years rather than the result of dilution. That says something about how long it lay and how much evaporated along the way.

Lady of the Glen is run by Gregor Hannah under Hannah Whisky Merchants and works consistently with natural colour, no chill filtration and bottling at the strength the cask offers. It is a line that lets the character of the distillery come through, and with Ben Nevis that is precisely the point.

Tasting notes

Nose

Tropical fruit with pineapple and passion fruit up front, then sweet malt and light pastry.

Palate

Soft and balanced with fruity sweetness, a creamy texture and discreet spice. The low cask strength makes it remarkably easy to drink for its age.

Finish

Long, warm and complex with fruit, malt and a last touch of oak.

Specifications

Name: Ben Nevis 1998/2025 Lady of the Glen 26 år
Distillery: Ben Nevis
Bottler: Lady of the Glen
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Single Highland Malt Whisky
Age: 26 years
ABV: 43,2 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Refill hogshead, cask no. 176
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 11 May 1998
Bottled: 4 April 2025
Number of bottles: 276

Flavour profile

Tropical fruit · Soft · Creamy · Malty · Lightly spiced

Investment potential

High. Twenty-six years in cask, 276 bottles and a single refill hogshead is a combination that cannot be repeated. Lady of the Glen has built a steady following among single cask collectors, and their older Ben Nevis casks disappear quickly.

Did you know?

A hogshead holds around 250 litres and is typically rebuilt from 200 litre American bourbon barrels by adding extra staves. The slightly larger volume gives a lower wood to liquid ratio, so the whisky matures more slowly.

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Frequently asked questions about Ben Nevis 1998/2025 Lady of the Glen 26 years

What is a refill hogshead?

A cask of around 250 litres that has held whisky at least once before. It gives less colour and less wood sweetness than a first fill cask, so maturation takes longer, but the character of the spirit itself gets more room.

Why is the strength only 43.2 % after 26 years?

Because alcohol evaporates slowly through the wood of the cask. In a cool Scottish warehouse the strength typically drops by a couple of tenths a year, and after twenty-six years it has reached the natural cask strength without anyone adding water.

How many bottles are there?

Two hundred and seventy-six in total. That is the entire outturn from the cask, and no more will follow.

Who is behind Lady of the Glen?

Gregor Hannah, who runs Hannah Whisky Merchants from Fife. The house buys single casks, matures them further and bottles them without filtration or colouring, often from distilleries that rarely release officially.

Is it easy to drink despite its age?

Yes, surprisingly so. Forty-three per cent and a tropical fruit profile make it approachable where many old whiskies turn dry and woody. Pour it into a whisky glass and let it stand briefly, and the fruit unfolds.

What separates it from a sherried Ben Nevis?

The absence of sherry. There is no dark fruit or nut here, but pineapple, passion fruit and malt instead. It is the spirit in a purer form, and that is rare to see from a Highland distillery at this age.