8 years old, distilled 1st August 2011, 57.4% abv, First Fill Ex-Bourbon Barrel, 221 bottles, dram price A

The nose has an initial floral hit - fresh flowers - and then pineapple, fruit salad chews, lemon bon-bons and midget gems. The mouthfeel is thin with no cling. The body has pineapple, lemon bon-bons, fruit salad chews and then oak sawdust and cinnamon. The finish has oak sawdust, cinnamon and hints of fruit salad sweets.

Water brings out thin, rapidly expanding whorling that settles quickly into brief mottling. The nose gains more oak notes and some old rough leather, but the fruit salad notes remain. The body gains rough leather and loses a little of the cinnamon. The finish gains rough leather and the cinnamon is diminished.

A very good dram, slightly ruined for me by the cinnamon heat in the finish. But those fruit salad and pineapple notes will keep me coming back for more, as will the leather once water has been added.

One for summer mornings.

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.