Taster

Nose: Big age oakiness with hints of lavender and a pleasing saltiness. Still malty, very lightly smoked, but a little sappy, too.

Palate: Sweet and bourbony early on with lashings of honeyed finesse. Very intense and pleasantly oily; slightly plummy.

Finish: Medium to long with some impressive vanilla. Remains thick on the palate for a long time with the toastiness at last drying things a little.

Comment: A fabulous whisky for its age.

Score: 9

Taster

Nose: Faint, fragrant, burnt grass.

Palate: Clean, distinctly sweet, peachy, malty. Rather neutral in the middle. Becoming smoky and peaty.

Finish: Sweetness and dryness, becoming astringently peaty. Long, warming.

Comment: Banff was never a classic, but it is an evocatively old-fashioned Highland malt, and it has stood up reasonably well to great age.

Score: 6.5