Taster

Nose: Sweet, herbaceous peat. Hazelnut or peanut brittle. Caramelising white sugar. Barbecued stone fruit (apricot, peach) and a little pear juice. Salt-and-vinegar rice cake and a hint of popcorn.

Palate: Medium-full bodied. Initial herbaceous peat and coal smoke fade to barbecued stone fruits, chilled baked pear, milk chocolate, smoked vanilla, salted-caramel ice cream, and wholewheat cracker.

Finish: Long. Smoke leads, becoming medicinal, with hazelnut chocolate bar and liquorice.

Comment: Islay in a glass – layered, sippable, with a good whack of smoke.

Score: 8.4

Taster

Nose: Key lime pie, burning charcoal, eucalyptus oil, and subtle tea tree oil. Menthol and latex. Tarragon, basil, and rosemary. Fresh pear, green bell pepper, and green apple, then a touch of green Kampot peppercorn. Vanilla lurks sullenly beneath.

Palate: Medium. Cooked green peppercorns, charred rosemary, chives, iodine, and medicated cough drop. A little of that vanilla shines through.

Finish: Medium-long. Fruit fades quickly, leaving green bell pepper and iodine.

Comment: If this whisky were a colour it’d be green. Water opens it nicely.

Score: 8.0