11 years old, distilled 7th August 2007, 60.1% abv, Refill Ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 261 bottles, dram price B

The nose has flint chippings, lemon, liquorice and a little paraffin wax. The mouthfeel is thin with no cling. The body has lemon, flint, liquorice and linament. The finish has lemon, liquorice and liniment. As it dries, there’s a curious heat...

Water brings out thin, compact whorling that settles into brief mottling. The nose gains boiled lemon sweets, gorse, pineapple and hints of hot greenhouses. The body gains pineapple, heather, and cinnamon. The finish gains cinnamon and pineapple.

Not as spicy as I’d feared it would be - nor as drying. Perhaps another occasion where the category system seems to have missed.

One for autumn afternoons.

Technical score: 3.5/5

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.