84.30 - Flying saucers and sinewed crumpet

10 years old, distilled 19th March 2008, 61.1% abv, Second Fill Ex-French Oak Hogshead, 254 bottles, dram price A

SMWS 84.30 - Flying saucers and sinewed crumpetThe nose has strawberry and lemon sherbet, with hints of cinnamon and cardamom. The mouthfeel is thin with no cling. The body has rum cake, cinnamon, cardamom and oranges. The finish has oranges, lemon and rum cake with cinnamon and cardamom.

Water brings out thin, rapidly expanding whorling that settles quickly into lingering mottling. The nose gains rum cake and loses the strawberry sherbet (but not the lemon!). The body gains more cinnamon and some ginger. The finish gains ginger and more cinnamon.

At the edge of my spice tolerance, but the sweet sherbet notes help to balance this whisky out very nicely.

One for summer evenings, perhaps with ice-cream.

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.