Tastes

Nose: Rich peaty smoke, hints of pepper. A sweet dried fruit like sultanas. Palate: A creamy mouthfeel. Sweet smoked honey, a developing sense of dry dusty grain and building red chilli spice. Finish: The spice continues with sweet dates. A lingering salty smoke, like a beach fire extinguished with sea water.

Nose: Sweet, light floral honey. Buttery toffee. Slightly briny. Delicate smoke. Palate: Creamy. Sweet peaty smoke. Crisp red apples. Finish: Spice intensifies, peaks and then leaves an earthy smoked vanilla, if such a thing exists.

Nose: Dried apple, apricot, lemon marmalade. Palate: Lovely smooth body. Apples and pears, some herbal notes and gentle peppery spice. Some tropical fruits. Finish: Torn spearmint sprinkled over freshly cut pineapple.

Nose: Light, crisp green fruit. Floral. Palate: Light body, peppery, green grapes, honeydew melon. Finish: More peppery intensity, vanilla custard and apple. I had this chilled as recommended and I have to say it's incredibly drinkable. If you're familiar with what Nelson Sauvin hops bring to beer this is the whiskey equivalent.

Nose: Sweet, sea salted ham, unripened conference pear. Palate: Heavier body than I expected from the colour and age. Salted smoked meat, some lightly toasted almond notes. A sugary sweetness like a light brown sugar. All perfectly balanced. Finish: A sweet ashy smokiness develops with a gentle spice arriving on the aftertaste.

Nose: Vanilla and sweetcorn leap out of the glass. Oak on the back. Palate: Oak, cherry, vanilla, developing spice. Finish: The cherry really comes forward on the finish with some barrel spice to end.

Nose: Fruit cake, brown sugar, hints of chocolate. Wood oil. Palate: Soft body. Malty, dried orange peels, heavy nutmeg spice. Finish: Hot finish. Lingering flavours of candied orange and some chocolate. Once the heat subsides it's actually a nice fruit-forward whiskey. A couple of drops of water remove all the heat and brings forward the chocolate and malt flavours.

Nose: Sea salt, light smoke, slight must. Palate: Fresh mango, sticky roasted pineapple. A hint of a vanilla-like sweetness. Some spice develops. Finish: Tropical fruits, especially pineapple linger. Faint sweet smoke.

Nose: Sweet dried fruits, honey coated nuts, some green fruit. Palate: Lighter than I expected. Orchard fruits. Some spice but it's balanced against a dried fruit sultana sweetness. Finish: Loads of black tea tannins with some cocoa and dusty peanut shells.

Nose: Dark fruits, malt, berries, Demerara sugar. Palate: Soft. Sweet toffee, lighter dried fruits like sultanas. Barrel spice develops. Finish: Dried apricot, sweet tobacco. A hint of chocolate.