Ben Nevis 26Y (1998-2025) Single Cask 54.3 "Liquid Art"

Ben Nevis 26 Years Old [Liquid Art] Distilled 12/1998 - Bottled 06/2025 - Single Cask - 140 btl. - 54.3% abv.

The world is rarely depicted in rosy tones in his work. In the tradition of Bosch, Bruegel, and Ensor, he fills his paintings, etchings, and drawings with obscene monsters and distorted figures, but — unlike those painters — he never moralizes. Bervoets aims, in his own words, to record the ugly and render it with deep emotional intensity. His sometimes extreme imaginative images of violence, eroticism, fear, and alienation may initially shock, but are immediately tempered by humorous and puzzling motifs. By the late 1980s, Bervoets’ work became noticeably more autobiographical. He increasingly appeared in his own canvases, often in mutilated self-portraits. He reveals himself as a born storyteller with impressive creative drive, making himself the central character in his chaotic universe.

Headache (review by Mark Dermul)

Before you assume that this whisky will give you a headache… it won’t (well, depending on how much you drink in one evening, of course). It is the name of the beautiful artwork by none other than Fred Bervoets, which Liquid Art, in collaboration with Galerie De Zwarte Panter in Antwerp, turned into a label. And we all know that 1995 to 1999 were fantastic vintages for Ben Nevis, so this promises to be a real treat.

I’ve only just put my nose in the glass and I can’t suppress a smile. This is spot on and immediately delivers on its sky-high expectations. Tropical fruits with kiwi and blood orange up front, thick cola, melon, red liquorice laces, acacia honey and a pinch of saffron. Absolutely complex and seductive.

Deliciously full-bodied. Lovely spices that make this malt comfortably warm right from the start, if you know what I mean. The spices at play are nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, ginger and saffron. These are beautifully complemented by orange marmalade, something reminiscent of cola candy, BBQ pineapple and a hint of Turkish Delight. Monstrously good…

In the long, warm finish a first bitterness appears and it becomes slightly drying, but that doesn’t spoil the fun in the slightest.

A top selection from Liquid Art. The only headache I would have had is if I hadn’t been able to secure a bottle of this. Fortunately, I managed to get one.

90/100

Tasted by Mark Dermul on 13-11-2025