Ben Nevis Distillery
At one point in the early 20th Century there were three working distilleries in Fort William. Ben Nevis, Nevis Distillery and Glen Lochy. Ben Nevis is now unfortunately the only remaining of the three. Founded by ‘Long John’ Macdonald in 1825, this year will mark it’s 200th anniversary.
Noted for its distinct West Highland character, the distillery is perhaps more well known amongst enthusiasts for its independently bottled casks than it is the official output from the distillery.
Barnard’s fantastic 1887 publication, Whisky Distilleries of the United Kingdom, features a vivid description of the distillery and the sail from Oban to Fort William. The accompanying illustration gives a great sense of the distilleries proximity to Ben Nevis. Unfortunately it’s so cloudy on our visit the mountain is all but completely obscured.
Illustration courtesy of The Whisky Distilleries of the United Kingdom, Alfred Barnard, 1887
It’s not currently possible to book tours of Ben Nevis online which means you have to pick up the phone and speak to a human being if you’d like to visit. There is only one standard tour you can book. No tiered levels of access. All very simple and old fashioned.
There’s something quite fitting about this as the distillery in itself feels very much like it’s not overtly geared towards visitors or tourists. This isn’t to say that the staff weren’t extremely friendly and welcoming as well as there being a nice bar/cafe area but more there being a slightly refreshing lack of any visitor related pomp or ceremony. No un-necessary polish. Just a working distillery with some friendly and informative staff to show you round. I realise some visitors may prefer if Japanese owners Nikka were to invest in the ‘visitor experience’ but I really quite enjoyed things the way they were.
Our visit was on the weekend so unfortunately the distillery wasn’t in production. It’s always nice to see liquid in the mash tun, spirit coming off the stills etc but sometimes visiting a distillery when there’s no production can make for a little more freedom to roam about, which was certainly the case at Ben Nevis.
The Porteus mill and stainless steel mash tun.
Ben Nevis currently operates a mix of wooden and stainless steel washbacks.
The still house, much like everything else at Ben Nevis feels very rudimentary but is not lacking in it’s own distinct charm. Entering at ground level and having the four stills tower above you gives them a real presence in the room. The gauges mounted on the exterior of the stills are a detail I haven’t come across too often at other distilleries.
After leaving the still house the tour concludes in an area outside of the warehouses where casks and maturation are discussed but without any direct access to warehousing involved. After this it’s back to the bar area to sample the current Ben Nevis core-range.
We picked up a bottle of the Ben Nevis Traditional. This expression aims to recreate a style of whisky that would have been recognisable in the 19th and early 20th Century. It’s lightly peated and definitely fits into that ‘Western Highland’ bracket. Amongst the core range it was the pick of the bunch for me. £50 which is much the same as retail prices elsewhere.
All in, the tour at Ben Nevis was really good. No frills, no fuss. If you like your distillery tours with a bit of sparkle and added fluff then maybe give it a pass but if your keen to get a good look around a working distillery then it’s highly recommended.
