Taster

Nose: Fresh, fruity. Red apples, lemons and coconut.

Palate: Sustained, teasing interplay of firm, malty, sweetness and dryness-and yet more fruit. Bananas, raspberries.

Finish: Shortbread, cookies. Like the base of a fruit pie.

Comment: Springbank can sound like a fruit salad, but the whisky has a lot of authority.

Score: 8.8

Taster

Nose: Neat it has a fresh spray of tangerine peel. With water, more oily and mature. Notes of strawberry, quince/medlar, pine and Maltesers. All quite reserved.

Palate: Great feel. A dram which fills the mouth. Good balance between sweet and almost savoury. Orange curaçao and a sooty note.

Finish: Very light smoke.

Comment: Understated - a bit like Frank in fact.

Score: 8