Taster

Nose: Very faint sulphur. Some peat smoke. As the whisky opens, nutty malt and flowering currant emerge.

Palate: Smooth. Malty, condensed milk. Nougat. Pistachio nuts.

Finish: Nut-skins. Slightly grainy. Crisp dryness.

Comment: It is always interesting to taste a Macallan that is less sherried than usual. This one could have been rounder.

Score: 7.8

Taster

Nose: Intense, weighty and quite oaky: brown butter, coriander powder, chocolate/mocha. With water: gorse, toffee, light turfy smoke, lemon.

Palate: Sweet yet dry: soft fruit, rich tea biscuits, herbs and roasted spices, almond/hazelnut dryness.

Finish: Medium length, some juiciness and a woody grip.

Comment: An apparently contradictory package, dry yet sweet, that just manages to hold together.

Score: 8