10 years old, distilled 7th May 2004, 61.1% abv, refill ex-bourbon barrel, 264 bottles

The nose is light and sweet - vanilla, lemon scented detergent, and lots of sawdust - as the though someone's been sawing through thick pine timbers. The body is very big - a clean, smooth and expanding mouthfeel that brings brioche, vanilla, banana chews and lemon juice. The finish is long and sweet - more vanilla and lemon sherbet. As the dram sits in the glass, the sawdust on the nose fades and the lemon becomes more dominant.

Water brings out tight, compact whorling that fades quickly. The nose now has banana bread alongside the vanilla and lemon. The body has less vanilla and more banana, some black pepper and a hint of blackcurrant towards the back of the mouth. The finish is still long, with more lemon than vanilla now.

A superb dram for a hot summer's day.

3.5/5