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Ben Nevis 1977-1990 - 12 Year Old - SMWS 78.2

LOT ID: 1023-1062


End Date : Jan 03 2024 08:00 PM


Total Bids: 26   

Winning Bid
£440.00


LOT DESCRIPTION

Ben Nevis 1977 - 1990. 12 Year Old. Bottled by The Scotch Malt Whisky Society. Society cask number. 78.2. 75cl. 62.4%. 109.2 Proof. No box.

From the Archives. ''This is a big, flavoursome, traditional whisky. It is pale, from what appears to be Spanish oak. The nose is strong and pungent and improves greatly with water. The taste is sweet and nutty, with a touch of citrus fruits about it. It leaves the mouth sweet and clear."

CONDITION

Good.

FILLING LEVEL

Lower Neck

Distillery:  Ben Nevis

Distillery Status:  Working

Bottler: The Scotch Malt Whisky Society

Region: Highland

Distilled Year: 1977

Bottling Year: 1990

Age: 12

Limited Edition: yes

Cask Number: 78.2

Category: Single Malt

Country: Scotland

Bottle Size: 70cl / 700ml

ABV: 62.4% / 109.2 Proof

Founded in 1825 by ‘Long John’ MacDonald, Ben Nevis is one of the classic Highland distilleries. Ben Nevis was purchased in the 1940s by Joseph Hobbs, who fitted a Coffey still enabling the distillery to produce both malt and grain whisky. A mothballed Ben Nevis was sold in 1981 to Long John Distillers (Whitbread), who refurbished the distillery and restarted production before selling up in 1989 to the Japanese firm Nikka, under whose stewardship the distillery has thrived.

For much of its early life Ben Nevis supplied the famous Dew of Ben Nevis blended whisky and single malt official bottlings were sporadic. That all changed after 1989, when Nikka bottled a 63-year-old Ben Nevis 1926 and embarked on an impressive run of vintage single casks and small batches alongside a core range 10-year-old. The early Nikka bottlings of 1960s & ‘70s vintages are particularly highly sought after. Independent Ben Nevis is abundant.

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) began in late 1970s Edinburgh when founder Pip Hills persuaded a group of friends to chip in for a cask of Glenfarclas, and was officially formalised in 1983. Today the SMWS has two venues in Edinburgh, a London bar and a string of international partnerships serving its 35,000 members. 

The Society’s whiskies are known for their unique SMWS coding system. Each cask bottled is assigned two numbers, representing the distillery and the bottling number, so 1.45 is the forty-fifth cask bottled from the first distillery and 33.27 is the 27th cask from the 33rd distillery.

Glenmorangie bought the Society in 2004, but sold it in 2015 to a private consortium who floated the SMWS on the stock market in 2021 via their holding company Artisanal Spirits Co.

DISCLAIMER

Although a condition report is normally included in the Lot description, this is not comprehensive and is based on a brief overview. Most items will be described as good or fair, this does not mean it will not exhibit wear or tear. We do recommend viewing/close inspection prior to placing any bids. If this is not an option and you have questions beyond the offered description and images, please use the form below "Ask A Question" to make specific enquiries or to receive a more in-depth condition report. Otherwise, Lots will be sold as seen.
Please note: due to the various ages of bottles, corks and their seals, condition of liquid is at the buyer's discretion. And no claim can be lodged against failure/leakage in any circumstance. All bottles are checked for authenticity by our whisky specialists Wayne & Harrison Ormerod prior to any auction. We do not auction opened bottles so therefore all items are sealed unless stated under certain circumstances where seals were never issued by the producer.
No item is deemed new and may exhibit wear or tear, however many items are generally in good condition. If an item has notable faults, we will make every effort to mention these in the description. The images supplied are of the actual item you will receive. If the filling level of the liquid is not visible in the images provided, we aim to indicate the current position in the description. If the filling level is impossible to determine, such as with ceramics decanters, we will provide an overall weight of the decanter in KG. Our filling level guideline can be on this page.
All information in this listing is provided to the best of our knowledge including when we chose to provide a condition report or date the age of a bottle. If you are unhappy with the listing or believe there is an error/discrepancy, you should not place a bid and notify us immediately and we will address the Lot accordingly. Placing a bid confirms you have checked the Lot and are satisfied.

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BID HISTORY

BID DATE TIME
Last Bids £440.00 3rd January 2024 19:41