100.21 - Caramel, currants, coconuts and carpentry

8 years old, distilled 28th October 2010, 59.0% abv, Refill Ex-Wine Barrique, 274 bottles, dram price A

SMWS 100.21 - Caramel, currants, coconut and carpentryThe nose has salted caramels, butterscotch, peach and apricot, with hints of pineapple. The mouthfeel is thin with no cling. The body has currants, salted caramels, seville oranges, dried apricot, sultanas and then plenty of cinnamon and cardamom. The finish has seville oranges, cinnamon, cardamom, currants and salted caramels.

Water brings out thick, rapidly expanding whorling that settles quickly into brief mottling. The nose gains more peach and butterscotch, and a hint of distant wood smoke. The body gains more salted caramels and some butterscotch, and loses a little of the cinnamon. The finish gains more caramel, more oranges and a little distant wood smoke. It also loses a little of the cinnamon.

A really rather pleasant dram - the wine finish has worked very well, bringing some interesting fruits to what is a very young whisky. This is better than many drams of twice its age!

One for autumn evenings.

Technical score: 4/5

Personal preference: I’d have another dram.

This whisky was provided by the SMWS in a preview session - thanks to them for that. Full editorial control has been retained in the tasting process.