Nose: Engine oil, sulphur (good sulphur), oily malt and herbal tea in the initial nosing, together with a definite alcohol “nip” and a briny, maritime aroma. The port influence is very restrained, even shy, and at first presents more like grape juice or rose-hip tea in the background. Over time the fortified wine influence builds but never to the point of unbalancing the nose. Adding water tends to homogenize the nose at first and although it remains very pleasant, and does recover with time, it loses just a little character in the process. Palate: The arrival is sweet for a second before turning astringent and oaky with ginger, sweet dark berries and big malty flavours. The development brings dried citrus peel, salted preserved lemons and sweet grapefruit, all of which gradually give way to a return of the red berries that are now sweet but tart, like unripe blackberries. The texture is oily and rich. Water does not spoil the palate at all, adding creaminess and a unifying richness. Finish: Long. Spicy, dark chocolate, salt and finally sweet red berries and milk chocolate in the delicious, mouth-watering aftertaste. Another lovely Tobermory with a dirty old-school profile that has been elevated to a high degree of refinement. They keep doing this and are rapidly becoming one of my favourite distilleries. Not that long ago Tobermory was almost an embarrassment but over the last decade their releases have been of a very high standard. The distillery has re-invented itself and we are the ones to benefit. This is a very good malt, and one that deserves long and patient tasting. It is just about unobtainable now and I missed out on a bottle, but fortunately found a sample from a local online whisky merchant. If you do happen to come across a dusty bottle of this on a shelf somewhere do not hesitate to buy it. Tasted from a 30ml sample. “Very Good” : 86/100 (4 stars)