Review #480 - Adelphi Ben Nevis 10 Year Single Cask
Ben Nevis - known for a funky, industrial, oily distillate - isn't easy to find in official bottling form, at least in most places around the world. There are a few releases - the 10 Year Old, Coire Leis, and the Traditional Peated version, for example - but most of the time, in order to try this distillery, we need to look for independently bottled versions (or Nikka products).
Adelphi aged this single cask from Ben Nevis in an Oloroso sherry butt, specifically a refill butt. Because a butt is quite a large cask size, this single cask yielded quite a few bottles after the 10 years of maturation: 568, to be precise. Because Adelphi is a high-quality indie bottler, we don't need to worry about any added coloring or chill filtration.
Adelphi Ben Nevis 10 Year Single Cask
Scotland/Highland - Single Malt
Current Locally Available Price: USD 119 (2025)
Age Statement: 10 Years
Strength: 59.5% ABV
Cask Makeup: Refill ex-Oloroso sherry butt
Details: Not chill filtered, no color added; cask no. 13, distilled 2013, bottled 2024; 568 bottles
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 1 time; bottle 80% fill level at time of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Malty and a bit funky - barley grain is prominent, and there's also a savory side to this. We do get some tart red and orange fruit, but it isn't overwhelming from that refill cask; after 10 years of aging, this still smells quite spirity.
Palate: A medium-thick mouthfeel, quite warming, and the savory, almost meaty side from the nose returns in the palate - barbecued meats. There's some wood smoke, along with a strong tangy fruit side - both sweet and tart nectarine.
Finish: Thick, oily texture lingers around the palate - a nice mixture of fruit and umami flavors, oranges, cinnamon... beef. It's rich, and the length of the finish is medium-long.
Final Note: A really interesting bottle from Adelphi and Ben Nevis, if a bit unrefined. Powerful flavors, but also quite a bit of heat from that bottling strength; we did enjoy the variety of tastes, from umami to sweet and fruity to spicy. Good whisky, as long as we're in the right mood to dive in and break it down.
Value is okay, maybe a bit below average, just because these IBs can be a bit expensive once they make it to the US.
Our Average Rating: 7.0 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 5.69
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
Check out our other Ben Nevis reviews:
Review #280 - SMWS 78.49 'I Hope You Like Jamming Too!' - Ben Nevis 12 Year
