The Whisky Exchange pays tribute to the spookiest time of the year with the spirit of Ben Nevis

Little Caoineag of the sorrow
Is pouring the tears of her eyes
Weeping and wailing the fate of Clan Donald Alas my grief that ye did not heed her cries – Alexander Carmichael

On Friday 31 October The Whisky Exchange will introduce a new own-label release. The Caoineag – The Weeping Spirit is a characterful six-year-old Ben Nevis, launched exclusively through The Whisky Exchange online and in-store this Halloween.

Caoineag – The Weeping Spirit – Ben Nevis 2019 6 Year Old, 55% £59.95

This is a rich, peaty spirit with layers of sweet, loamy soil, fruity dark chocolate, singed orange peel and lime. A powerful and expressive single malt, it is non-chill-filtered and, with time in the glass, reveals a funky, almost industrial side that is sought after in whiskies distilled at Ben Nevis. Close your eyes and take a sip to travel in time back to a Scotland dominated by warring clans whose demise was signalled by the pitiful wailing of the Caoineag – the weeping spirit of Scottish mythology.

An ancient spirit hiding in the mist, the rivers, the waterfalls and the lakes, the Caoineag was rumoured to dwell in the isolated and unforgiving lands of the

highlands of Scotland. Her despairing wail foretold great tragedy, death and disaster. It echoed across the landscape, mourning lost souls and foretelling sorrows still to come.

Legend has it that on the eve of that dreadful massacre of Glencoe, 12 February 1692, members of Clan Donald heard that eerie warning telling of the bloodshed that would soon destroy their family. The Caoineag shared her dire warning, but Clan Donald’s gory destiny was already unfolding.

Caoineag – The Weeping Spirit is available exclusively from The Whisky Exchange online, or in its three stores (London Bridge, Covent Garden, Great Portland Street).