Taster

Nose: Attractive, vivid. Lots of citrus fruit. Orange marmalade. Lemon meringue pie. Floral hint.

Palate: Ample. Velvety, mouth coating. Complex and tasty festoon of spices. Mint cream. Hazelnut toffee. Liquorice. Shortbread. Malty sweetness.

Finish: Warm, lasting, soothing on creamy notes.

Comment: Make the effort to sample a cracking dram and to visit the bonniest distillery in Scotland.

Score: 8.8

Taster

Nose: Milky. Light hazelnut, cocoa powder, haystacks, unmalted barley, popcorn, flour sacks.

Palate: Medium-bodied. Some complexity beneath a pretty firm structure. Flour, nutmeg.

Finish: Dry, nutty.

Comment: Strathisla is a funny beast - rigid when young it takes a long time to come out of its shell. This is just starting to do so.

Score: 7.8