14 years old, distilled 11th October 2000, 59.1% abv, refill ex-bourbon hogshead, 170 bottles

The nose is spirited, with a little wood (balsa) and hints of tobacco under an effervescent chaos of sweet notes - sherbet dip, pineapple juice, lemon bonbons and hoisin sauce. The mouth-feel is slick, with little coating. The body has ginger, wasabi, teriyaki, honey and a touch of horseradish. The finish is sweet and sharp, balsa wood and vanilla with a little white pepper.

Water brings tight whorling that dissipates quickly. The nose now has more of the white pepper and hoisin sauce. The body is softer, but brings a little heat towards the back of the mouth. Pineapple, mango and peaches are present, but dominated by the spicier notes. The finish is much the same.

Too spicy for me, hence the rather poor score.

1/5