Taster

Nose: Banana and bourbon, sweet and clean. A slight smoky, peppery note.

Palate: Intensely sweet with rich demerara sugar and spicy malt.

Finish: Barley sugar and caramel; chewy malt; spice, toastiness.

Comment: Brilliant balance of barley sweetness and spice. A joy.

Score: 8.5

Taster

Nose: Honey and honeydew melon; glacé cherries, waxy; lipstick.

Palate: Remarkably fudgy. Treacle toffee.

Finish: Very gingery. Sweet, leafy bonfires smokiness.

Comment: Pale in colour but by no means anaemic in flavour. Has matured a lot since it was 15.

Score: 7.5