Scotland, September 2017. Whisky #14, distillery tasting. Nose: Fragrantly floral pineapple and mango aromas dance over a base of caramel fudge, hazelnuts, and slight woody notes. As it rests in the glass with a dash of water it evolves deeper fruity notes. [The dry glass presents smoke, with a slight floral honey overtone]. Palate: Gloriously rich and full, red berries, vanilla, brine, dark chocolate, coffee, malt, creme brûlée with honeycomb crusting. There is an old-style character to this palate and the texture is satisfyingly mouth-coating without being cloying. Finish: Long. Sweet spicy notes, roasted nuts, pepper and salt. As pleasant as the nose is when neat the high ABV locks the aromas down tightly so adding a generous dash of water and giving it time to sit and open up is highly recommended. The name Victoriana was very well chosen for this malt as it is both old-school in profile and also curiously evocative. I had a mental image of looking through a window on a snowy winter's evening at a dinner table groaning with rich plum pudding and Christmas cake. Very Dickensian, very Victorian. Similarly, the palate gains complexity from watering - particularly the unleashing of a full and rich spicy kick into the finish and some delightfully sweet smoke. One of the most enjoyable aspects of this whisky the is the sherry influence, which flits masterfully between dry and sweet. I suspect that this is the key to its whole character. This is a fine whisky that deserves and repays time and attention. Try it in different dilutions and give yourself plenty of space to appreciate the facets it can present. For this beguiling complexity alone it deserves attention. A very satisfying discovery that capped off my visit to the distillery. "Excellent" : 88/100 (4.5 stars)