Taster

Nose: Very aromatic. Fresh cedar. Coconut.

Palate: Intense. Tar-like. Rooty. Sappy. Earthy. Piney.

Finish: Liquorice. Spicy. Peppery.

Comment: Its edgy assertiveness might bother aesthetes but I warm to a whisky that knows its own mind.

Score: 8.5

Taster

Nose: Very intense and hot without water, quite oaky. Sharpened pencils and orchard fruits. Water brings a sauna-like piney oiliness. Clean, citric.

Palate: Softer and more zesty than you'd expect, though it carries the heat of high alcohol all the way. A fiery beast.

Finish: Becomes perfumed in the drying glass.

Comment: Packs a real impact.

Score: 7.5