Taster

Nose: Deep fragrant sherry slightly burnt and winey notes, followed by salt and seaweed.

Palate: Lightness subsides to reveal a chewy, dancingly oily body which resurges before releasing the sooty medicinal saviours.

Finish: Long, smoky, medicinal, smoky, salty, smoky.

Comment: A more lingering, classic Lagavulin with some of the corners knocked off and some subtle depths added.

Score: 9.5

Taster

Nose: Fresh attack, with a barrel of tar and punches of peat, sulphur and salt. The victim, enjoying being a masochist, is then soothed with beeswax.

Palate: Rich and extremely sweet, then smoky becoming medicinal and eventually seaweedy.

Finish: Pepper, salt, sand.

Comment: What it loses in character it gains in a different dimension of distinctiveness.

Score: 9.5