Taster

Nose: Smoked bacon, burning Christmas trees, heavily roasted coffee and bonfire toffee. There is a hell of a lot of cask influence here. Like smelling a forest post-fire.

Palate: Big flavours again of bitter pine, cherry stones and burnt oak. That’s kinda it.\n

Finish: Very well done steak.

Comment: I’m not sure the distillery matters here, as there is so much cask influence. Could have done with tasting the actual spirit character.

Score: 7.1

Taster

Nose: Intense, winey and manure. Boiled sweet sherry and earthy, medicinal, tarry peat, liquorice, burnt wood, creosote, raisins, dark chocolate, green cashew nuts and almond. Wow!

Palate: Thick, unctuous and toasty with dark honey, taut, spicy, grainy oak and a dollop of treacly sherry. Oozing, tarry peat along with green nuts, raisinated fruit and bittering spices.\n

Finish: Dry and bitter with burnt wood and tannins but the treacle and molasses add sweetness to balance. Complex – peat smoke and medicinal herbs linger.\n

Comment: Mad, bad and dangerous to know!

Score: 9.3