46.64 - East meets west

17 years old, distilled 27th September 2000, 58.9% abv, Second Fill Ex-Sauternes Barrique, 242 bottles, dram price C

SMWS 46.64 - East meets westThe nose has apricot, pineapple, lots of vanilla and hints of toasted oak. The mouthfeel is decent with no cling, and very smooth. The body has vanilla, apricot flans, toasted oak and then waves of spice - cinnamon and cardamom. The finish is cinnamon and apricot flans, with the cinnamon being a little dominant.

Water brings out thin, rapidly expanding whorling that settles without mottling. The nose gains cardamom and burned oak. The body gains more of the cinnamon and loses some of the apricot. The finish gains more spice notes.

This whisky was on the borderline of spice tolerance for me. It's very well constructed and holds itself nicely, but these are not the flavours I was hoping for.

One for autumn evenings.

Technical score: 4/5

Personal preference: Just the one dram, thanks.