Scotland, Northern Highlands. Distillery operational. Owners: Ben Nevis Distillery Ltd, Nikka Whisky Distilling.

Founded in 1825, Ben Nevis' story is closely linked to that of the internationally renowned blend Long John. In 1831, Ben Nevis became the property of John MacDonald, who was nicknamed Long John due to his exceptional height. From 1955 to 1981, a Coffey still was installed at Ben Nevis, enabling it to distil both a grain spirit and a malt spirit. It was a production method dear to many Japanese distillers, including Nikka, who bought the distillery in 1989. To mark the occasion, the oldest cask of Ben Nevis was bottled, leading to the release of the highly sought-after Ben Nevis 1926 63 Year Old Under Strength, a limited edition of 98 bottles. Since then, Ben Nevis has continued to develop its individuality and maintains its exclusive character by offering extremely rare editions of its vintage single casks (1966, 1967, etc.) and small batch versions, such as Ben Nevis 1966 21 Year Old. Like Karuizawa, Ben Nevis is a robust malt that takes well to long maturation in ex-sherry casks.

A single cask Ben Nevis (#1650) distilled in 1996 and bottled in 2017 for the Single Malts of Scotland range, matured in a sherry cask. The Single Malts of Scotland was created in 2005 by Elixir Distillers (formerly Specialty Drinks), the independent bottler founded by The Whisky Exchange in 1999. The range features single casks and small batch bottlings. Elixir Distillers’’ other ranges include Elements of Islay and Port Askaig. A limited edition of 467 bottles.