The nose offered sherry, spiced wine and charcuterie; crème brûlée and chocolate raisin sweetness bumped into peppercorns, oak tannins and musk. Any sweetness on the palate (dark cherries in chocolate, peaches in syrup, cola, brown sugar, crêpes) was beaten into submission by massive hammerbeam oak, burnt heather, old cognac, espresso, cough medicine, cinnamon, ginger and chilli. The reduced nose found cocoa powder; then cashews, macadamias and almonds embedded in spicy fruit cake.

On the palate, the sweet/tannic balance improved – now cherry lips, pain aux raisins, walnut cake and hot chocolate fudge sundae confronted aniseed balls, balsamic, PX, cardamom and pencil ends. Bottled for the Speyside Whisky Festival 2023.