Taster

Nose: Perfumy. Waxed fruits. Hard black chocolate. Cedar.

Palate: Oily, syrupy, sweetish. Belgian toffee wafers. Orange-cream pralines.

Finish: Stewed apricots. Crème Anglaise. A late whiff of cigar smoke.

Comment: The sweetness could be excessive, but it is saved by the stogie.

Score: 7.8

Taster

Nose: Much weightier and characterful than most 10 Years Olds. Toffee and fresh figs. Enticing.

Palate: Glorious mouth feel: chewy and lush with cream toffee giving way to a sprinkling of demerara.

Finish: Brilliant! Just a hint of fettered spice, and then waves of oak and malt with vanilla.

Comment: This is a solid, gutsy whisky with wave-upon-wave of rich flavours and textures. A truly great malt. Older in style than the label suggests.

Score: 9