Ben Nevis 2011/2023 Hepburns Choice 11 years old Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 46%

A sherry butt holds around five hundred litres, twice what an ordinary cask carries. That means less wood surface per drop and a slower, more measured maturation. Eleven years does not sound like much, but in a butt they count differently.

The expert's description

Ben Nevis 2011/2023 Hepburn's Choice 11 years is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in a sherry butt and bottled at 46 % without chill filtration and without added colour.

The cask was filled in 2011 and drawn in 2023, yielding 880 bottles. That is a high outturn, but it follows from a cask of that size, and it also means the bottling actually reached an audience rather than vanishing within a week.

Hepburn's Choice is a range from Hunter Laing, the family firm behind Ardnahoe on Islay among others. The range consists purely of single casks bottled at 46 % without filtration or colouring, and it is intended as the honest working series of the house rather than as prestige releases.

Tasting notes

Nose

Dried fig, walnut and a dry sherry note. Behind it sit malt and a suggestion of orange peel.

Palate

Full and dry with raisin, cocoa and spiced oak. The Ben Nevis weight keeps the sherry in check rather than giving way to it.

Finish

Long and dry with nut, dark chocolate and a warm note of spice.

Specifications

Name: Ben Nevis 2011/2023 Hepburn's Choice 11 år
Distillery: Ben Nevis
Bottler: Hepburn's Choice
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 11 years
ABV: 46 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Sherry butt
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2011
Bottled: 2023
Number of bottles: 880
Edition: Single Cask

Flavour profile

Sherry matured · Dry · Nutty · Full bodied · Spiced

Investment potential

Medium. The bottling comes from one cask and cannot be remade, but the 880 bottles make it less scarce than most single casks. The Hunter Laing ranges hold a steady position among collectors of independent bottlings.

Did you know?

Hunter Laing was split off from Douglas Laing in 2013, when brothers Stewart and Fred Laing divided the family firm between them. Stewart took the single cask stocks with him and later built Ardnahoe on Islay.

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Frequently asked questions about Ben Nevis 2011/2023 Hepburn's Choice 11 years

What is a sherry butt?

The largest of the common sherry casks, holding around 500 litres. Because the wood to liquid ratio is lower than in a hogshead, the whisky matures more slowly and with a more restrained cask influence.

Is 880 bottles a lot for a single cask?

Yes, at the high end. A butt can give between 500 and 700 bottles at cask strength, but when bottling happens at 46 % water is added and the outturn rises accordingly.

Who is behind Hepburn's Choice?

Hunter Laing in Glasgow, run by the Laing family. The range is the single cask series of the house at a fixed 46 %, without filtration and without colouring, and it covers a broad spread of Scottish distilleries.

How does a sherry cask suit Ben Nevis?

Well. The spirit is heavy and slightly waxy, and it has the body needed to avoid being run over by the sherry. Many of the most respected Ben Nevis bottlings sit in sherry wood.

Does it need water?

At 46 % it is ready as it stands. Pour it into a whisky glass and let it settle for five minutes. A single drop of water can open the nuttiness further if you want to try.

Is it peated?

No. There is no peat smoke here, only dried fruit, nut and spice from the cask plus the weight of the distillery itself.