18 years old, distilled 11th October 2000, 56.4% abv, First Fill Ex-Oloroso Hogshead, 201 bottles, dram price E

The nose has sherry, orange sherbet, toffee, liquorice and milk chocolate. The mouthfeel is thin with no cling. The body has toffee, oranges, aniseed and a little dark chocolate. The finish has oranges, toffee, dark chocolate and aniseed.

Water brings out thin, rapidly expanding whorling that settled quickly into brief mottling. The nose gains more orange and some hints of balsamic vinegar, and loses the milk chocolate. The body gains leather, more orange and loses the aniseed and some of the dark chocolate. The finish gains more oranges, cinnamon and loses a little of the aniseed.

Triple distilled and sherried - yet brilliantly balanced.

One for autumn evenings.

Technical score: 4.5/5

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.