Whisky Ben Nevis Special Reserve Ceramic

There are some who would have you believe that there exists a kind of divine secret, a miraculous ingredient or genius behind the manufacture of Scotch Whisky. I however, acknowledge no miracle other than that which is worked when science and nature combine.

The principal ingredients are three, notably water, barley and yeast, with a measure of peat smoke or reek.

Of these there can be no doubt that water is the foremost. On Ben Nevis I was fortunate to find a constant and consistent source of pure clean water in two small lochans.

In order of importance, the second ingredient is barley. This must be clean and plump, fully rounded and quite dry, containing exactly the right amount of protein.

Special distiller's yeast is the third ingredient. This has the texture of dough or putty and is vital to the process of fermentation.

And fourthly there is peat, which comes to the whisky through the water passing over peat bogs on its way down the mountain, and from the 'reek' from the fire lit during the manufacturing process.

Once again, we are fully fortunate in that nature in her magnificence, has created on the hill behind us, an ample supply of peat in our own banks to fuel the fires drying the barley.

This product was added to our range after some of our potential customers felt that our “Supreme Selection” blend was “too smooth”. This blend was created with those people in mind. This blend does not carry an age statement on the label but I can tell you that some of the malts used in this product are over 5 years old. Jim Murray’s “Whisky Bible 2004” describes it thus:- ‘very firm malt, sweet, full-bodied and punchy grain, even a hint of honey on the spicy finale’.