Taster

Nose: Cream-toffee and honeycomb. Vanilla and other gentle oaky tones waft through. Brilliant.

Palate: Subtle spices warm the palate only for the honey to calm things down again. Sweetcorn, and brilliant, toasty brown-sugared depth.

Finish: Some deft rye; the oak adds dryness.

Comment: A bourbon of stunning complexity that really has improved in the last year or so as the depth has intensified. Easily among the best on the market in the UK.

Score: 9

Taster

Nose: Restrained black chocolate. Cigar boxes. Hint of charcoal.

Palate: Very firm. Full of flavours, tightly combined. Whole almonds, marzipan. Root ginger. A touch of fresh oak, and some charcoal.

Finish: Very long. Flowery: violet.

Comment: Perhaps encouraged by the dark orange colour, the descriptors sound sweet, but the overall effect is one of flowery dryness, with great finesse.

Score: 8.5