18 years old, distilled 30th March 2001, 55.2% abv, Second Fill Puncheon Heavy Toast Medium Char, 672 bottles, dram price D

The nose has chocolate sponge cake, plums and hints of old polished furniture. The mouthfeel is thin no cling. The body has plums, damsons, blackcurrants, then moves briefly to light leather notes before the cinnamon spice rolls in. The finish is plums and cinnamon.

Water brings out thin, compact whorling that settles quickly into brief mottling. The nose gains more plum, some greenhouse notes and loses some of the polished furniture. The body gains leather and dark chocolate, and loses the blackcurrants. The finish gains leather and blackcurrant.

A beast of a dram, but it’s held together quite nicely. A Disney beast, rather than some other fairy tales...

One for winter afternoons.

Technical score: 4/5

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.