Taster

Nose: Baked apples, cherry cough sweets and dried fruit notes of raisins and prunes. Soft leather note and hints of tobacco; the drawers in old oak desks, fountain pen ink, sugared almonds and lashings of salty caramel.

Palate: Cherry fudge with lots of red chilli spice and dried chipotle, rounded out by sea salt caramel sweetness.

Finish: Sea salt caramel softens out the initial prickle of the chilli spice.

Comment: Gorgeously balanced between sweet, salty and spice. This hits a perfect note between them all.

Score: 8.2

Taster

Nose: Pretty restrained, though somewhat earthy and dusty with some rye spice and muscovado sugar.

Palate: Delicately sweet and peppery, with some light caramel, fresh corn and candy canes. Dry spice builds into the middle, taking over on the palate.

Finish: Bready and warming with some caramel sweetness.

Comment: A perfectly pleasant, easy-drinking whisky. Would make a lovely Highball with some ginger ale.

Score: 7.8