Taster

Nose: Smoky, charred nose. Complex earth tones with liquorice, cigar smoke, leather, walnut cake.

Palate: A deep brooding bourbon with butterscotch/vanilla underpinnings showing lovely interplay between honey and chocolate. Wood has a presence, but nuttily so.

Finish: Oak, but lovely balance.

Comment: A deep earthy affair. One to sip with a good cigar. Gene Clark.

Score: 8.8

Taster

Nose: A wintery night. A leather armchair in front of a log fire. Molasses cookies?

Palate: Firm, heavy body. Viscous. Molasses. Medicinal. Peppery.

Finish: Bittersweet.

Comment: Characterful, but not an easy whisky on the basis of this bottling. Bitterness seems to have gained a notch at the expense of the fudge flavours. Water brings it back, but not all the way.

Score: 7.8