9 years old, distilled 23rd September 2004, 59.8% abv, first fill white wine hogshead, 273 bottles

The nose is musty - old wardrobes and a slight bitterness - a friend said sulphur, but I didn't quite get that. The body is warm, with plenty of cinnamon and chilli spices on top of cinder toffee. The finish is long and bitter, with a hint of dark chocolate oranges. The mouthfeel is slightly cloying.

After water (which creates thin and remarkably short-lived whorling) the nose now has some of the dark chocolate oranges. The body has more spicy heat, bringing more curried notes. The finish has some honeycomb notes, but is still very bitter.

1/5