13 years old, distilled 23rd January 2008, 58.0% abv, First Fill Ex-Bourbon Barrel, 221 bottles, dram price B

The nose has floral notes - unsurprisingly - and then hints of plums before a slightly hoppy note. The mouthfeel is thin with little cling. The body has plums, “meadow fresh” fabric conditioner, then cinnamon hops - like a spiced ale. Finally a hint of lemon is present. The finish has cinnamon, ginger, hops and lemon.

Water brings out tight, thin and rapidly expanding whorling that settles into brief mottling. The nose gains more floral notes and loses some of the hops. The body gains some slight oak notes and loses the floral ones, making the hops more pronounced. The finish gains a little more lemon and some oak.

A decent and bright dram that isn’t overwhelmed by its slightly hoppy notes, making for a pleasant difference from the usual fare.

One for summer mornings.

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.