The first of Elixir Distillers' MacBeth series of independent bottlings that I've tried, a 28-Year Old Ben Nevis distilled in 1993. I might know a little about whisky, but I know basically nothing about Shakespeare or MacBeth. This is still a whisky review, but this could get literary... And yeasty!
1990s vintage Ben Nevis' would be some of the most lusted after independent bottlings out there, mostly thanks to the tropical fruit profile that some casks develop once they reach a decent age. They'll also need to be refill ex-bourbon and/or hogshead casks of course, so that they let the spirit character really shine through. The general consensus on this tropical fruit character is that it comes from extended fermentation times employed during this period, and the combination of brewer's & distiller's yeasts that were used at the time and are still used at the distillery today, although it's likely that the yeast "recipe" has changed since the 1990s. Brewer's yeasts in the whisky distilling world are more specifically ale yeasts that are top fermenting, while lager yeasts are bottom fermenting which makes them unsuitable for brewing a whisky wash. Back in the day ale yeasts were more commonly used in the whisky industry, but fell out of favour when lager yeasts became more common in brewing and with the advent of distillers yeasts that were more resilient, more predictable, and gave better spirit yields. As a result they are quite rare in modern Scotch whisky, with Benromach and Ben Nevis being the only larger distilleries currently using some brewer's yeast, while newcomers like Holyrood in Edinburgh and Dornoch (Thompson Bros.) in Sutherland have also experimented with brewer's yeasts. Some distilleries have also played around with saison (Belgian farmhouse ale) yeasts, wine yeasts, and also wild yeasts - Glenmorangie's Allta was fermented with a wild yeast strain cultivated from nearby barley fields. Outside of Scotland though many distilleries are using different or even multiple yeast strains, more notably in Japan and in the US, where many whisky/whiskey producers have proprietary yeast strains that are a closely guarded secret. The goal with all of this yeast is to create different flavours and/or to create more flavours, and to add more esters (fruit flavours) and more texture to the spirit. Anyone who's tried a good cask of Ben Nevis distilled in the 1990s might find that hard to argue with!
This particular Ben Nevis is an independent bottling from Elixir Distillers, the former owners of The Whisky Exchange, current owners of Tormore Distillery and Portintruan Distillery, and owners of independent bottling brands such as Port Askaig, Elements of Islay, and Single Malts of Scotland. Their MacBeth series of bottlings are a collaboration between Elixir, whisky writer Dave Broom, and design company Livingstone. The series will feature 42 bottlings, each embodying a character from Shakespeare's MacBeth and featuring bird-like character artwork by English cartoonist & children's writer Sir Quentin Blake. MacBeth was written by William Shakespeare in the early 1600s, and in very simple terms is about a Scottish General, MacBeth, who is told by three witches that he will become King of Scotland, and is encouraged by his wife to murder the current king. Both then spiral into madness, his wife commits suicide, and he is eventually murdered himself. It's essentially a tragic tale based around ambition, guilt, fate, moral degradation, and eventual reckoning. The character we're interested in today, which this bottling is in homage to and is featured on the label in semi-bird form (why not, I suppose?), is one of The Thanes, named Ross. Thanes were Scottish feudal lords & noblemen, and Ross was a messenger first in service of King Duncan, then MacBeth, and then flees to England to start a rebellion against MacBeth. Ross also delivers some exposition in the play and announces some key plot points, making him quite an important character.
This 28-year old Ben Nevis is from Act II, the second "Act" of releases in the MacBeth bottlings so far, there are five acts in the play, and there are smaller series' of bottlings within each "Act" of releases. These aren't generally single cask bottlings but are all single malts and are all limited, with a wide range of ages, cask types, and distilleries featured. So far releases have ranged from a 56-year old Glen Grant to a 10-year old Blair Athol, with plenty of others in between. This Ben Nevis, titled "Ross", is a 28-year old from refill hogsheads that was distilled in 1993 and bottled in 2025, with 850 bottles released at 50.4% ABV. It is of course non-chill filtered and natural colour. As you'd expect for a 28-year old Ben Nevis with this sort of pedigree, this is not a cheap bottling, retailing at around $1,300 here in Australia and around £500 in Britain. Similarly aged Ben Nevis' from other bottlers, including those from the more popular 1996 vintage, can be found for almost half of that price, which makes this one a tough sell.
Elixir Distillers MacBeth Ben Nevis 28-Year Old, "Ross", 50.4%. Highlands, Scotland.
Distilled 1993, matured in refill hogsheads, bottled 2025. From "Act II" of the MacBeth releases and part of the "Thanes" series of bottlings. Non-chill filtered, natural colour, 850 bottles.
Colour: Gold.
Nose: Fruity, buttery, malty. Sweet tropical fruits; there are flashes of roasted pineapple and white peach, but it's more about fresh mango skins, honeydew melon, and under ripe banana. Lemon as well, and sweet golden malted barley. Creamy melted butter, white pepper, and sweet barley sugar lollies. Buttery malt biscuits, raw almonds, and a touch of chalk.
Texture: Medium-heavy weight. Rich, oily, sweet, mega-fruity. No heat at all.
Taste: Very fruity, sweet, and luscious. More sweet tropical fruit; fresh mango skins, under ripe banana, honeydew melon. Buttery malt biscuits, white pepper, and some wet stone and chalky minerality. Barley sugars (boiled lollies), lovely sharp lime curd (key lime pie filling), and more raw almonds around the edges.
Finish: Medium length. Tropical fruit & barley sugars carry through, and the white pepper comes back in with a chalky, salty, mineral dryness to balance things out. Dry oat cakes with a slight touch of honey to finish things off.
Score: 4 out of 5. Not far from a 4.5, though.
Notes: Delicious rich whisky with tropical fruit, oily sweetness, and a touch of minerality, saltiness, and chalkiness for balance. What more could you ask for in a 1990s distilled Ben Nevis? These Ben Nevis' really do rival the aged Irish whiskies from Cooley and Midleton, but with that chalky touch and arguably less spirit-y heat, in general. That said, this isn't the fruitiest Ben Nevis I've had, and the finish is surprisingly dry and not as weighty or long-lasting as I'd like. But there's still plenty of fruitiness, maltiness, and barley sugar sweetness, to keep everyone happy.
A very good dram of course, but as said above there are similarly aged Ben Nevis' available from other independent bottlers for almost half the price of this one, so it's a bit of a stretch. Still, a winner!
Cheers!
