Taster

Nose: Oaky. Vanilla. Sweet apple. Acetyl. Pear drops. Cloves.

Palate: Light. Dry. Water wakes it up a little.

Finish: Dry herbal, clovey, slightly musty.

Comment: No distillery deserves to be knocked down to accommodate a strip mall, but Glen Albyn just did not have the muscle to defend itself (as Tom Wait might have put it).

Score: 7.3

Taster

Nose: A charming mixture of mealy malt, almost exotic fruitiness and a hint of smoke.

Palate: Deliciously oily and sweet with an early arrival of gentle peat and gathering spices.

Finish: Outstanding: with soft coffee, toffee and cocoa clinging to the waxy oak and lingering spice.

Comment: Truly brilliant example of how an old malt should be: seriously big, full of complexity and minimum oak interference.

Score: 9