58.39 - Lip-smacking and tongue-tingling

8 years old, distilled 13th January 2012, 62.1% abv, Second Fill Ex-Bourbon Barrel, 241 bottles, dram price A

SMWS 58.39 - Lip-smacking and tongue-tinglingThe nose has toffee, shortbread, thyme, fennel seeds, humbugs and banana. The mouthfeel is thin with no cling. The body has toffee, milk chocolate, cola cubes, fennel seeds, banana bread, then dries into cloves and cinnamon. The finish is dry with cloves, cinnamon and wood spice.

Water brings out tight, thin, rapidly expanding whorling that dissipates quickly without mottling. The nose gains milk chocolate and more banana. The body gains more fennel seeds, clove and cinnamon and some gingerbread. The finish gains ginger and more wood spice.

Not my style of dram, this has a little too much spice from the oak - but if you’re OK with that, it’s got plenty of other flavours to balance it.

One for autumn afternoons.

Technical score: 3/5

Personal preference: Just the one dram, thanks.

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.