The nose hinted at paint and glue – water shifted this to fresh linen and warm photocopies; we didn’t find that in the taste. The rest of the nose had herbal, grassy notes (hay, thyme, cucumber) and fruity sweetness (brandy snaps, orange zest, peach stones, golden syrup, chili marmalade). The palate had a pile-driver punch of spirity heat (even with water) but after a couple of sips we learned to take it on the chin – nice grassy, cereal notes, including popcorn, riverbank reeds and mint, then more of that fruity sweetness (mandarin, rhubarb and pineapple, with spun sugar, vanilla and pink Chewits).

Young Bond prepared the ingredients for his cocktail: bruised mint, Gomme syrup, pink peppercorn and aromatic cherry and violet. As he mixed his ingredients for this Old Fashioned together he scanned the scene, it was a bit of a mystery. A large arrangement of flowers was the first observation. A table set with a curious collection: Fox Glacier mints, chocolate chip ice cream, Jolly Jammers and salted limes. He sipped his cocktail and enjoyed its sprightly kick. The perfumed scent of some exotic beauty lingered. He investigated further finding cream soda, marshmallow and Kendal Mint Cake. What did it all mean?

We were sitting comfortably in a North Frisian roofed wicker beach chair with the sea in front and the sand dunes and pine forest behind enjoying juicy fruity jelly beans as well as iced Moroccan mint tea with a hint of lemon, topped with sparkling water and a splash of vodka garnished with pomegranate seeds – wonderfully refreshing! With water we opened a bottle of Buck’s Fizz on the nose, whilst on the palate we moved on to some light-bodied summer ales with a hoppy herbal lemon taste combined with a sweet malty, crisp and very refreshing finish.

Who is the fairest of them all! Imagine Snow White feasting on shiny red apples, juicy peaches and pineapple whilst perched on a newly varnished pine stool. She dipped her pinkie in lemon meringue pie and nibbled a pink wafer. She wrinkled her pretty nose at full strength as she found it nippy and fizzy but then confectionary sweetness and milk chocolate brought a smile to her rosebud lips. Water opened up Caribbean punch fruitiness of melon, lychee and mango wrapped in waxed paper. She polished off with Bakewell tart and summer pudding and glugged at pink grapefruit Robinsons juice.

The nose had various elements – pencil shavings, Weetabix and hay, toffee bonbon and honey sweetness, Murray Mints and Pandrops plus subtle hints of Imperial Leather soap. The minty heat came through on the palate – aniseed, chili, white pepper and Extra Strong Mints – we also got a lot of biscuity sweetness (Hobnobs, Digestives) and some exotic fruits. The reduced nose suggested a variety of unconnected things – plastic poolside furniture, citrus, raisins and tomato ketchup crisps. The palate had mellowed somewhat, replacing lively heat with moreish drinkability – now combining sweet, mild spices with tangy citrus, Atholl brose (honey, oats) and a chocolate fountain.

A teatime treat for cheeky grannies in pursuit of their youth. A veritable feast of goodies to indulge: bubble gum, apple chews, apricot sweeties and vanilla fairy cakes. They nibbled at Empire biscuits and raspberry tartlets while dabbing their lips with apple lip balm. Our guzzling grannies slurped cheap peach ice cream, cherry lips and melon balls. They nonchalantly flicked through glossy magazines while sipping gin and tonic and eating Cape gooseberries.

An interesting nose; floral, pot-pourri and grassy notes balanced fruitiness (pineapple, blackcurrant, raspberry, foamy bananas). We also discovered a contrapuntal interplay between sweetness (syrup sponge, white chocolate, vanilla, toffee) and charred oak and clove. The palate was muscular, powerful and tasty; masculine flavours of balsamic, aniseed, pepper and various toasted notes (hazelnut, coconut, pizza crust) slightly overshadowed the Madeira cake and fondant icing sweetness. The reduced nose brought sugar-coated fennel seeds and bicycle repair shops. The reduced palate was slightly enigmatic – we found stem ginger, walnut whips, and chocolate digestive biscuits – but unquestionably moreish – a good cask, and a good dram.

We found the nose straightforward but attractive, with vanilla, lemon puffs, green apple, rhubarb and chalky sweets (Edinburgh Rock) but one panelist was in a Chinese restaurant (five-spice, fragrant rice, fortune cookies). With water the floral, citric perfumes edged forward and it became more buttery (popcorn, shortbread, caramel). The palate had good viscosity and body, with sweet and tart flavours of stewed rhubarb, gooseberry, plums, red grape Shloer, Haribos and Astro Belts; it even seemed fizzy and lively at times. Water emphasized different aspects – pistachios, almonds and salty bread, with lemon rind, white pepper and aniseed bringing dryness to the finish.

The first sniff took us straight to aged riesling wine with a delightfully oily hue. On the second inspection we discovered pineau des charentes, and further to that armagnac. 'Is this whisky?' we thought as calvados now erupted from the glass. Then more familiar notes of roasted chestnuts and dark chocolate emerged alongside apples, sultanas and cinnamon stick. The palate carried a sticky thickness as dried figs joined Black Forest gateau. With water we wandered into aged cider and cherry liqueur with a warm slice of tarte tatin and a dollop of apple chutney. Then oily walnuts continued through to a finish that was heavy with dried orange and coconut. After spending 15 years in an ex-bourbon Hogshead this was transferred to a 1st fill oloroso Hogshead for the remainder of its maturation.

The nose, notwithstanding honey, sherbet straws and ice-cream is dominated by floral fragrances and sea breezes over the machair. The palate, intense at first, mellows with water to light smoke, lots of citrus, Parma violets and salt; fresh, sharp and pleasing.

The first impression is of sweet pastry – shortbread – with vanilla notes, increasingly supported by fruit cake or dried fruits steeped in tea. In time it lightens: fresh figs, melon, fresh grass, rosemary. At natural strength, the taste is heavier: herbal tea and jasmine tea, musty/waxy, nutty (macaroons, hazelnuts and almonds), flower honey. The last increases with a dash of water, becoming more waxy/oily – sunflower oil, crème Anglais, light nuts. Now the texture is soft, the taste sweet with honeycomb, then slightly bitter (edible flowers like nasturtiums) in the finish. Complex and ever-changing.

This dram evoked autumnal feelings in us all, even though slightly different ones. From walking in woodland searching for blackberries and mushrooms to grape harvesting on a warm afternoon and picking apples in an orchard; eventually we all celebrated harvest festival. For that we were eating plum, orange and almond cobbler, toffee apples, caramelised pears and pumpkin pie. With water the first signs of winter appeared, the cool wind and the comforting aromas of spiced hot apple cider and vanilla scented candles drew us inside enjoying a cherry pie with a nutty crumb crust and real whipped cream.

A luxurious array of aromas courted the panel. Red rose petals, bergamot and lavender woven into a hedgerow. Sweet desserts of strudel sprinkled with demerara sugar and sponge cake teased the taste buds. In dived the adventurous crew to find a jammy mix of strawberry, apricot and marmalade. Cooler angelica, licorice and eucalyptus prowled over the tongue. Water opened Pandora’s box of Jamaica loaf, carrot cake and pork pie. Student memories were evoked of Tiger balm, warm leather guitar straps and aromatic crispy duck. An extravagant and lavish dram.

Seventeen years in a refill barrel before finishing in Sauternes gave this a delightful nose – aromatic and heady – full of floral perfumes (sweet peas, freesias) and tropical fruits (Tooty Frooties, fruit pastilles, jam donut) with some varnished wood. The palate was lip-smacking and tongue-tickling – mainly sweet and fruity (pineapple cake, brown sugar on pink grapefruit, candied lemon, pick-n-mix) but with floral notes and playful, tingling woody spices at the end. The reduced nose found pavlova and sherbet lemons – comments included ‘warm and inviting’ and ‘my kind of whisky!’ The palate was sweetly succulent, with juicy melons and ‘dessert trolleys going by’.

We were struck by the complexity of the nose – certainly perfumed and fruity, with red fruits, orange, tutti-frutti – even raisins – but there was also chocolate, fudge, treacle and cookie dough – and hints of wool carpets, olive soap and elder flower. The palate was very pleasant indeed – fruity confectionery, orange zest and orange blossom, apricot jam, honey and buttery brioche – could have been a French breakfast. The reduced nose just got even more complex – pineapple and watermelon; marmalade on croissants and hints of tobacco – French breakfast circa 1960s. The palate now had coffee grinds, iced tea, crème Anglaise and toasted crumpet – Ooh-la-la!

The nose neat was very soft, gentle and enticing compared to an Impressionist painting creating patches of light with soft pinks and purples. Aromas mentioned were sweet and salty crunch nut bars with honeycomb, a bowl of porridge with golden syrup and chocolate rice crispy cakes. A soft gentle heat to taste reminded us of roast pork in sweet tangy apple sauce. Water added more sweetness, tropical fruit salad with big pineapple chunks and cream, as well as Stroopwafel over a Latte. There was the exciting fizziness and juiciness of a Vin Gris with flavours of pear, mango and strawberry – subtle but complex.

The nose neat was a real potpourri of aromas ranching from cedar wood shavings over lemon oil to dried roses. There was also some kind of tangy and sweet fruitiness, like that of a green apple smoothie or a gooseberry Bellini. On the taste neat it was that tanginess and sweetness of rhubarb and custard bonbons at first, before custard creams arrived. Water helped releasing more complex aromas of baked custard rice pudding, cinnamon vanilla toasted oats and brown sugar apple cobbler. The mouthfeel was now smooth with a good texture of, iced fairy cakes, jammie dodgers and bourbon cream biscuits.

The nose had an unassuming substructure of wood, which supported a delightful and elegant edifice of pot-pourri, fresh laundry, magic balloons and an exuberant Caribbean fruit punch. The palate was exotic and tropical, mellow and lively, all at the same time – tutti-frutti, sherbet lemons, Sangria, juicy blood orange, three fruit marmalade and a few tingling spices bringing up the rear. The reduced nose was still fresh and invigorating – pink grapefruit, lime marmalade, floral and citric perfumes and suggestions of coconut and vanilla. The reduced palate was bright, sparkling, summery and playful – sweet and juicy, with pineapple humps and Key lime pie.

The nose had unstinted salivating sweetness (toffee, marshmallows, nougat, maple syrup on ice-cream, Crunchie bars, sugary espresso dregs) plus a mesmerizing melange of exotic fruits, some pine and old-fashioned perfumes. The palate was really juicy and lively – slightly bitter but attractive fruits dancing jigs on our willing tongues (kumquat, preserved lemon, Caribbean punch, sherbet lemons) – we also got balsamic glaze, cinnamon stick, vanilla and juicy oak. The reduced nose seemed fruitier, fresher and mouth-watering, with pineapple, apricot, melon, tutti-frutti and lemon tart. The reduced palate was as bitter-sweet as Tennyson’s lost love – lemon drizzle cake, bitter lemon and pickled ginger.

Different panel members got different associations nosing this one. China Martini liqueur was one, flavoured with cinchona bark, herbs and spices. Sambuca an aniseed flavoured liqueur was another and finally Jaegertee –over proof rum, black tea sugar and spice. This carried on in the taste; mead (fermenting honey with water, fruit and spices), Krupnik from Poland and an Amontillado sherry from Andalucía. With water aromas and flavours of Torrone, better known as nougat made from honey, egg whites, vanilla, walnuts and almonds as well as a light, sweet, creamy Crema Catalana. This was like a trip around the best the Mediterranean can offer in a glass.

Once upon a time we smelled rum and raisin mud cake with plenty of dark spiced rum, with chocolate covered macadamia nuts and sweet pickled figs. Quiet, dark and dense on the palate; Madeira infused pate with port-soaked apricots and prune cake, all washed down with Damson brandy liqueur. With water we felt we were being transported to the wicked witch’s gingerbread house in Hansel and Gretel - we broke a piece off the roof – delicious, juicy and mouth-coating. Nine years in a 2nd fill Oloroso sherry butt, finished in a virgin oak butt with a heavy toast and a medium char.

The wood hit our noses as oak shavings, fresh-cut pine and furniture stores; then we detected eucalyptus, ginger and new leather shoes; but it was also sweet (Oreos, syrup, plum sauce on sponge) and floral. The palate’s deeper regions gave us liquorice root, black tea, cinnamon and dry oak, while its lighter face had figs, guava, raspberry jam and fruit cake. Water brought sauna wood and clove-studded ham to the nose; cough syrup, rich toffee and Chupa Chups to the palate. After 13 years in an ex-bourbon Hogshead, we transferred this into a sherry butt for the remainder of its maturation.

The nose was deep and dark, but pleasantly attractive – we found dates, Demerara, mocha, rum truffles and candy floss; a lady’s wooden dressing table and a French polisher’s tool-bag. The neat palate was very sweet – treacle toffee, rum cake, Dr Peppers, and Calypso coffee, but with hints of perfume and Benylin linctus offering intrigue and interest. The reduced nose suggested cinder toffee, fly cemeteries (fruit slice) and sherry trifle with lady finger biscuits in the bottom. The palate had moist ginger cake and sugary espresso dregs, with black tea, dry wood and gentle spices giving a satisfying shimmer to the finish.

A wonderful and well-balanced scent of old rose combined with peach and violet as well as perfumed woody aromas set us up for a very romantic journey. In candlelight we shared sherry trifle with layers of sponge fingers, fresh raspberries and raspberry jam, custard and cream and topped with toasted almonds, as well as a stollen wreath with dark rum and lemon marzipan. A drop of water moved us to a different place and time; orange blossom season in Seville and on the palate we were clinking glasses filled with Vintage Champagne whilst watching a tropical sunset over the ocean.

A curious and intriguing nose – we found spiced toffee apples, roasted chestnuts, figs, fudge and old wood (cigarette boxes?); a mixture of treacle, some rich sherry and a matchbox. The neat taste had tongue-numbing menthol and eucalyptus and made us think of figs, sherry, burnt toffee, honey-roast parsnips and beetroot crisps; old tea chests and erasers. The reduced nose got dried flowers on a lavender polished table, old leather chests, hazelnuts and menthol cigarettes. The reduced palate had pleasant woodiness, some acceptable earthiness (roasted sweet potato, walnuts, hay) and candy floss sweetness (including chewing the stick).

When we first approached this sample, it felt like opening the bonnet of an overheated car with the steam from hot oil as well as burnt capacitors. Whilst we were waiting for the engine to cool down we had a slice of Spotted Dick, steamed sponge pudding with currants and raisins, served with treacle sauce. To taste initially as if performing a fire breathing act using paraffin oil, soon turning into flapjacks and candied oranges. Water clearly dowsed the fire, Banoffee pie, prunes and raisins next to brown sauce and a hot glue gun while in the finish, burnt orange salty caramel sauce.

Fresh figs and mango to begin then the nose develops with root ginger, coriander and sesame seed oil. There are notes of tweed and leather boots on a walk in the hills. The palate offers more fruit with plums, raisins and a tangerine tart. A salty, savoury element comes from burnt bacon and toast. With water added we enter a tea house; it has old furniture and sweet perfumed ladies sipping on mint tea and well brewed Earl Grey. There is cinnamon spice and red flower oil and a satisfying taste of tarte tatin and caramelised malt loaf. A finish of Lapsang Souchong follows, from the distillery meaning ‘big burn’.

There wasn’t anything delicate about this, and the panel were in conflict. Chips wrapped in warm newspaper, meaty broth and malty drink tangled with turpentine and oily engines. Tea break continued with sweet dough balls covered in dark chocolate sauce, then espresso with cinnamon sprinkles. The bad boys broke off their cement mixing to have a cheeky shot of tequila with the salt and lime. They nibbled twiggy crisps, crunchy peanut brittle and garibaldi biscuits and put their tools down for the day. The panel couldn’t agree if the builders went wild camping or to a coal cellar.

The initial comments on the nose neat were ranged from ‘very little’, over ‘shy’ to ‘austere’; but when given a little time a picture evolved, like making a puzzle out of pieces you don’t think belong together. How about a dessert made with whipped ricotta, rhubarb, candied olives and tarragon syrup. Let’s give it a try; sweet and spicy with some creaminess and sourness, flavours of vanilla, cinnamon, Turkish delight and rhubarb – all well balanced. Water added maple glazed pineapple tarts and apple and cinnamon spiced Danish on the nose and we were all taken by surprise with the dry, spicy wood finish.

The nose is a balanced marriage between a sweet lady (maple pecan Danish, stroopwafel, caramel wafer) and a well-muscled carpenter (oiled wood, putty, charred staves). The palate perpetuates this pairing – cinder toffee, fruit cake, bourbon biscuits, sweet sherry and chocolate-coated raisins matching nutty, woody spice (ginger, clove, nutmeg). With water, the lady takes the upper hand – so more sweet and less heat; butterscotch and chocolate orange sweetness pleases the tongue, while the gentle spices and black-jacks slyly tease the finish.

We were greeted by an enticing combination of citric and sweet aromas with lemon cookies, lemon meringue pie, lime sorbet, candied citrus peel and a white chocolate and lime mousse. The taste was like a big bear hug, a nice gentle feeling of warmth. Flavours still citric; lime and sea salt dark chocolate and a rose petal ice cream with ginger lemon shortbread. Water changed the nose and palate substantially; chalky, dry and a minerality for which the Mosel Rieslings are well known and liked for. In the long finish, there was a nice spicy sweet crystallised stem ginger note.

We all stepped into an old fashioned sweet shop; plenty of dust but the floor was recently spring cleaned with bleaching powder and chlorinated lime. When we left we strangely bought pancetta, prosciutto, freshly grounded coffee and Amontillado Sherry. The taste neat was like an erupting volcano with the lava flowing into the sea and causing a sizzling hot spray – exhilarating! Water calmed the scene and fruity aromas of apples, pears, plums and grapes appeared out of nowhere with the refreshing sparkle of a white grape and raspberry juice on the palate and a perfect Martini in the finish.

The invigorating nose gave us cinder toffee, crème brûlée, burnt sugar, maple syrup, smoky bacon crisps, pork crackling and patchouli; also something between an old-fashioned boat-builder’s yard and an Eastern rug shop – we thought of Sinbad preparing for a journey. Adding water brought Dairy Milk chocolate in a steamroller cab and an Asian dish of prunes and roast pork. The palate was big, tasty and dark – treacle cake, pancakes and bacon with maple syrup, caramel pop-corn, vanilla ice-cream, chili chocolate, caramelized apples with pork; beef jerky and leather. In reduction – sweeter and more pleasant –tarte tatin, bacon, custard and cigars.

Initially some were on a DIY trip applying linseed oil window putty whilst others returned to their childhood making shapes with Play-Doh and drawing with wax crayons – all eating Garibaldi biscuits! With time aromas of a black raspberry fruit pie developed as well as roasted hazelnuts resembling biting into a Ferrero Rocher. The taste was like a spiced Scotch pie but with rhubarb and apple filling, white pepper and chili flakes. Water released aromas of adding a splash of vegetable oil into your hot wok preparing a vegetable Chow Mein with beansprouts, shiitake mushrooms, water chestnuts and hoisin sauce.

Initially some were on a DIY trip applying linseed oil window putty whilst others returned to their childhood making shapes with Play-Doh and drawing with wax crayons – all eating Garibaldi biscuits! With time aromas of a black raspberry fruit pie developed as well as roasted hazelnuts resembling biting into a Ferrero Rocher. The taste was like a spiced Scotch pie but with rhubarb and apple filling, white pepper and chili flakes. Water released aromas of adding a splash of vegetable oil into your hot wok preparing a vegetable Chow Mein with beansprouts, shiitake mushrooms, water chestnuts and hoisin sauce.

The nose neat was clean and fresh, but at the same time invitingly rich, like a newly, well-polished wooden bar top. In time, a seductive sweetness developed; candied almonds, toffee apples, fondant fancies and a quality ice wine. Given its age the taste was surprisingly vibrant with a ginger, chili heat but again the attractive sweetness of caramel apple cake and lemon blossom honey. Water released honey porridge, scones with clotted cream and toasted flaked almonds. On the palate now a dry spiciness of banana walnut cornbread and cinnamon rolls, all washed down with a sparkling elderflower fizz.

Elegant, Sumptuous, exotic, rich, smooth, spicy,…No, mere words cannot do it justice – you have to try this one for yourself and whoever said “to travel is better than to arrive was wrong!”

Wonderfully rich and indulging aromas of hot chocolate cake with toffee sauce, chocolate bread and butter pudding and freshly brewed coffee made this a very stimulating and enticing experience right from the start. Thick, succulent and creamy were just some of the adjectives used when tasted neat; carrot cake with lemon peel, raspberry spice cake and warm apple pie with hot vanilla sauce – it was simply ‘Yummy’! A drop of water and the nose turned a little brighter, a little subtler, walking through blossoming orange trees in Seville and on the palate, wickedly viscous like coconut orange raspberry swirl muffins.

The nose was slow to waken but led to comments like ‘Warm, rich, teasing’ and ‘high quality’ – toffee, chocolate éclairs, fudge and golden syrup promenaded alongside flower meadows and fresh hay – but slate, coal-tar, leather, brass and pine spoke of old-fashioned iron-mongers. The unreduced palate was pleasantly mouth-flooding with big flavours of sherry, roasted chestnuts, leather, dried fruits and heather stems after moor-burning. The second nosing had candles, fortified wine and saddles (d’Artagnan arrives at the inn?). Water helped the palate to consolidate and come together in harmony – brown sugar, dark chocolate orange creams, rum-soaked cherries, sweet liquorice and dark honey.

All were delighted by the aroma and flavours of an exotic temple. Delicately baked stone fruits sprinkled with rosewater, pistachio, cardamom, then fresh pine and beeswax polish. In the darker corners there was cooling lychee and cucumber, then and breezy jasmine. Malted digestive biscuits with a slather of honey and baked pastry added depth. For some, water brought out lovely clean notes of grape, kiwi, gooseberry and melon. For others, wet slate, damp dog and rain smattered stone. The finish was crisp green apple and lime pastilles, warm brown paper, fresh laundry and mint cornetto ice cream.

Nosing this one neat was an awe-inspiring moment, like stepping into a grand house standing in the entrance hall with open eyes and mouth. Aromas of polished wood and shiny marble mixed with luxurious leather and the sensual fresh scent of orange blossom. The taste was like a symphony of oak played in perfect harmony with spicy notes of ginger and clove and the bittersweet finish of a Turkish coffee. Water transported us into an antique woollen mill still using the old-fashioned spinning jenny and the flavours dry, bitter, oaky, sweet and fruity, all beautifully interwoven like in a Persian oriental rug.

The first aromas were predominantly dark runny honey over crackers, followed by salted lemon and fresh kiwi fruit. With time, camphor and citronella candles burning in a damp pine forest. Juicy Fruit gum emerged on the nose and in the taste. It retained a white peppery heat at full strength, with lemon zest and lime posset emerging. Aspen bark, cinnamon and spearmint all became easier to find with water as if they had all been washed up on a seashore. A muskiness reminiscent of coastal dunnage warehouses belied its age, but homemade lemonade and green Starbursts lifted any hint of heaviness.

The nose was sweet, creamy and fruity – wine gums, Gummi Bears, Randoms, pineapple humps, vanilla slices and donuts filled with cream and covered in chocolate. The palate was also sweet and fruity (pineapple, lemon) but our mouths were warmed by aniseed and fiery ginger beer and our curiosity aroused by perfume, quinine and lemon zest. The reduced nose kept our interest – Tangfastics, sherbet lemons, laundry, vanilla-scented candles and lemon and lime. The palate had pineapple, lemon and lime sorbet, a flake of ginger, a lemon balm leaf but still retained some yoghurt creaminess. Simple but very refreshing, perfumed and lip-smackingly tasty.

Light, perfumed, dainty, measured and delicate. We were met with the heady scents of a lemon syrup sponge served in a garden centre, with iced tea and Toffee Dodger biscuits on the side. On further exploration it was sweet and peachy, with lychees, vanilla, white pepper zing and burnt orange syrup. Water brought apple scented soap, distant potpourri, rose petals, cut flower stems and white lilies. On the taste we found apple juice jelly, condensed milk and icing sugar with vanilla and dried cranberries to finish. Gentle, yes, but give this time and you will find that it is no shrinking violet!

The nose found feverfew, camomile and grass, but the main event was fruity sweetness, like jam tarts, rhubarb and custard sweets, Danish pastries, vanilla slices and stewed fruits. The sweetness was less fruity on the palate – we got barley sugars, buttery tablet, pastries and McCowan’s Highland toffee – then a late spice kick of ginger, chili and pink peppercorns. The reduced nose was young and fresh (flower meadows, laundry, lemon, pencils) but still sweet – this time sunny runny honey, Hobnobs, ice-cream wafers and dark chocolate. The reduced palate had less heat and seemed tastier – dried papaya, Granola bars and chocolate milk-shake.

We sniffed – and were rewarded with a treasure chest of caramel cupcakes, Jaffa cakes, Gold Bars, Frosties, cinder toffee, lemon and orange blossom – also hints of polished pine. The palate was ‘light but right’ – banana toffee, pink wafers and buttery shortbread – we also picked up warming notes of ginger snaps and spiced bourbon punch. The nose became more delicate with water – maple syrup and Toffifees accompanied a picture of a vase of flowers on a varnished windowsill – a grassy flower-meadow outside. The reduced palate was sweet and easy-drinking, with white chocolate and ripe figs – an attractive dessert of a dram.

The nose held our attention with attractive, wood-derived notes of dunnage, vanilla and tobacco leaf; but also sweet, perfumed aromas of jam donuts, brandy snaps, Dolly Mixtures, banana and tulips. The palate balanced sweetness with acidity – unripe nectarine, pomegranate, black cherries and lime; Haribo Astro Belts, hyacinths and subtle wine hints. The reduced nose had fresh-sawn oak, chamois leather, coconut and laurel leaf counterpointing fudge, marshmallow and Turkish Delight. On the palate, we found Amarena cherries and limoncello – still tangy and lip-smacking but much sweeter. After 16 years in ex-bourbon wood we transferred this into a first-fill red wine Hogshead.

One Panel member found himself on the gun deck of an old wood-hulled warship with smells of ash, gun powder and spent cartridge, whilst others, more peacefully, are turning earth in their herb garden. The taste is hot and fiery – the battleship is in action – or we take a break from gardening on a sunny afternoon and enjoy rye bread dipped in olive oil. With water we take a rest sitting in a wicker chair on a warm cedar decking surrounded by pots of sage and heather. The taste now juicy, warm and pleasant like waffles with runny vanilla custard.

The nose beckoned us into a garden centre, with green, leafy, floral and earthy elements, including the shop selling cane furniture and Yankee candles; in time we were transported to Churchill’s cabinet room (leather, wood and cigars). The palate was a bitter-sweet experience – vanilla, chocolate and sugared strawberry sweetness against more bitter aspects of wood, lime, ash and floral perfumes. With water, the nose presented rose and lime chocolate creams in paper cups in a wooden box. The palate turned considerably sweeter – burnt toffee, cookies and ice-cream – still some gooseberry, rhubarb and lime – but now wrapped in tasty, floral sweetness.

The nose was sweetly seductive – toffee, caramel, Flumps, Tunnock’s Snowballs and carrot cake, but far from one-dimensional – it also had hessian, coconut, macadamias and insinuations of citrus. The palate offered fantastic, mouth-watering sweet acidity, like Moffat toffees; plus, exotic fruits, flowers and strawberry jam tarts – and the finish – teasingly dry with woody tannins, coconut and clove. Floral notes increased on the reduced nose – Parma violets, lavender (someone imagined sniffing a bee’s knees) – not to forget pineapple, sherbet and granola. The palate now danced on our tongues – lively as lollipops and cream soda, with lots of interesting back-flavours (cardamom, anise, angostura) – engaging.

Unmistakable sweetness on the nose – sticky dates, honeycomb, strawberry milk-shake and salted caramel – but other aromas added to the complexity and sophistication – we passed a housekeeping trolley in a hotel lobby (perfumed soaps, fresh laundry, cleaning stuff and confectionery) on our way to the spa. The palate was amazing – caramel, vanilla, rich toffee, Crunchie bars and waffles, but with sharp, fizzy pear sorbet and popping candy as one counterpoint and mouth-drawing toasted oak and leather as another. The reduced nose was indulgent and rewarding – like standing between an Arran Aromatics shop and an ice-cream parlour. The palate – elegant, tasty and complex.

Superlicious sweet notes of peach, ripe apple and juicy pears sprinkled with icing sugar and topped with buttercream. The aromas of delicate cherry and apple blossom blended with freshly baked biscuits and warm balsa wood. The panel found the palate zingy with lemon zest, then tinned pears in syrup laced with chili flakes and a dusting of cinnamon. Water opened up fresh apple and custard, lime basil and mandarin candle, mirabelle plum and wild flowers. Fresh pencil shavings and dusty chalk added depth with clean grapefruit giving in to fizzy sherbet and rich dark chocolate for a pleasing dry finish.

This felt like a spruced-up tropical fruit salad of grapefruit, orange, pineapple and kiwi more exotic perfumed lychee and slightly nutty dragon fruit, all ‘dressed up’ with watermelon vinaigrette using a combination of agave and Dijon mustard. Smooth and mouth-watering like a breakfast quinoa fruit salad; fresh berries, orange zest, vanilla powder and cinnamon. Diluted, a perfect Eiskaffee – creamy iced coffee made with extra strong coffee, two scoops of vanilla ice cream topped with whipped cream and a sprinkling of chocolate brittle whilst the finish turned into a cafe Mexicana called ‘café de olla’ with cinnamon and orange peel.

On the nose, lemon, elderflower and tinned fruit salad gradually gave way to deeper notes of cashews, raisins, cinnamon, ginger and Buttercup cough mix. The neat palate had light spice and lots of sweetness (marshmallows, cherry lips, cola cubes, foamy bananas, Nutella and sticky toffee pudding). The reduced nose offered banana liqueur, red laces and rum and raisin ice-cream; some panelists were transported to a shopping mall (noodle bar, hairdresser and confectioner nearby). Oaky spice and vanilla began to show through on the reduced palate, along with butterscotch, banana chips, popcorn and toasted marshmallows – and a hint of Murray mints.

Our extended afternoon tea began in a truly civilised manner with strong earl grey tea, treacle tart, eccles cakes and cinnamon buns sprinkled with desiccated coconut. After sweetening the tea with a spoonful of brown sugar I reached for a chocolate digestive biscuit and proceeded to dunk it in the tea until the chocolate had melted. We then progressed onto cocktails with manhattans and an old fashioned and debated how spiced rum would taste with cloudy lemonade. Breaking open a packet of dark chocolate with chilli we could smell the fresh oak from the nearby timber yard that gave the air a wonderfully fresh and clean scent.

Let Aladdin transport you to a land of green pear, agave, gooseberries sprinkled with icing sugar and crystalized angelica. The magic carpet of hessian scented with lavender and orange oil. Whoosh - the taste is sharp and sweet with hot chili, fresh ginger and caramelized oranges sprinkled with plump yellow raisins. A box of exotic wood bursting with hazelnuts opens and with water, yields peaches and cream, vanilla slice and custard creams. Our genie emerges with a bowlful of crushed meringue, strawberry and melon spritzed with orange zest. The finish is short and dry...was it all a dream?

The initial aromas transported the panel into an old church with its wooden pews and old leather-bound books mingling alongside perfumed incense, scented candles and the fuscia bush beside the entrance. Then sweetness filled the air with jelly beans and sherbert straws married with apricot yoghurt and sugar-coated nuts. On the taste we found more spicy wood, gob stoppers and iced buns but with a fruity bridal gown of mango, mandarin, strawberry jam and blackcurrant cheesecake. Baptism unveiled flavours of stollen bread, sweet pink nougat, and the refreshing zing of gooseberries, grapefruit and raspberry coulis to finish.

The unreduced nose was curiously complex – vanilla ice-cream and creamy toffee, but with fresh floral and herbal notes that spoke of summer hedgerows and cooling Murray Mints. With water it seemed more straightforwardly sweet – eliciting a long list of confectionery – pineapple cubes, sherbet straws, rhubarb rock, etc. The neat palate was an intriguing sweet and tart combination (lemon meringue pie, raspberry jam, dandelion and burdock), but with warming ginger and Liquorice Allsorts spiciness creeping up behind. Like the nose, this also sweetened with water, but retained lemon balm, white pepper and coltsfoot rock to dry out and spice up the finish.

A fresh, light and crisp nose at first; sitting on a pebble beach, the morning after the night before, with the salty sea breeze clearing heads and somewhere in the distance a camp fire being lit for breakfast. The taste is like a wakeup call; ginger tea with spiced caramel biscuits and heather honey on slightly burned toast. When we added some water, sweet smoke emerged reminiscent of the scented candles from last night next to waxy lemons and Sicilian blood orange juice. On the palate now perfectly balanced between sweet honey, ashy wood char and a sea salt milk chocolate bar.

The nose began slightly sharp and spirity (hot lemon sauce, brambles, nettles, balsam and pine) but lots of goodies too – coconut, liquorice allsorts, tinned pineapple, dried fruit, vanilla. With time and a little water, it became dusty and woody (newly sawn wood, workshop shavings, tea, hay, pepper) – but with teasing sweetness (honey, chocolate, orange jelly) and delicate roses. The palate flooded the mouth with flavour – dark cherries, dark chocolate, strawberry jam, blackberry, lemon and lime – all nicely agitated by tongue-tingling peppery spice. In reduction, bitter fruits see-sawed with honey, raisin and creamy custard sweetness – bringing balance and harmony. Rothes’ oldest distillery.

Lots of fine sweetness on the nose – we found caramel wafers, toffee, nougat and dulce de leche, but sweet tobacco, marmalade and sugary espresso dregs gave depth to that sweetness; we also got hints of pepper, Airfix glue, wicker and wax. That spicy, ‘adult’ sweetness characterised the palate too – Crunchie bars, honeycomb, pain au chocolat, coffee fondant and crystallised ginger, with one or two earthier notes (pepper, wood, tequila). The reduced nose evoked cinnamon-dusted rice pudding and satay sauce, while the palate’s yummy chocolate gingers and Tia Maria got the thumbs up all round. This famous Rothes distillery dates from 1840.

The nose context was a fruit market (pear, orange, lemon, lychee, cherry) but we also found a leather handbag containing fag packets and nail varnish and paper bags of assorted fudge (vanilla, rum and raisin, ginger). The neat palate was quite an experience – apple pie, vanilla ice-cream, puff candy and honey sweetness, with menthol cigarette, aniseed and cardamom depth, while fizzy Vimto, soor plooms and white pepper popped playfully on the tongue. The reduced nose developed pleasantly – Battenberg, Bounty Bars and champagne sorbet. The palate continued to tingle and enervate – Lucozade, lemongrass and lollipop sticks. From the first distillery in Rothes.

This one made its presence known straight away. A rich and flavourful punch like dark thick cut Seville orange marmalade on spongy crumpets and black currant jam sweetened with honey on buttered burnt toast. The taste was that of seared duck breast with red wine and orange sauce. With water; cinnamon roasted pineapples and cinder toffee and the never-ending finish was a dark chocolate cake flavoured with Barolo Chinato and served with whipped cream and raspberries – pure indulgence. After 24 years in an ex-bourbon refill Hogshead, we transferred this whisky directly into a Sauternes cask for the remainder of its maturation. Spicy/smoky finish.

On the nose – fudge, pecan pie, crème caramel, marzipan, set honey, banoffee pie, rum-soaked raisins; waxed jackets, incense smoke, toasted oak, tobacco pouch, sweet mint. And here are some of our comments – Amazing. Fantastic. Deeply satisfying. Complex. Rewarding. Can’t put it down. Sweet treats. A sniffer’s dram. On the palate – dark Madeira honey cake, Jamaican truffles, Moroccan spice markets, buttered toast, marmalade, treacle, rich caramel, spiced almonds, maple syrup, ginger biscuits. Yet more comments – Forbidden pleasures. Manna from Heaven. Moreish. A voyage of discovery. Sometimes being on the panel is not so bad!

The initial nose was brimming with strawberry and peach topped with fudge sauce and served with coffee flavoured toffee and cream soda. To taste it tingled with nutmeg and cinnamon, with warm woody spice numbing the tongue. Water opened a big bag of berry fruits and gummy confectionary, newly plained wood counter polished with linseed oil, crystallised angelica and eucalyptus. It reminded one panelist of a lady’s cabinet with pressed powder, scented creams, fragrant lotions and potions. It retained a nippy sweetness with lemon bonbon, honey fudge offset with sharper citrus and mint. An invigorating and perky dram.

A peppery bite softens into blood orange, pear, peach and banana bread with honey. A steamy aroma reminiscent of saunas meshed with sunny orchards and freshly cut daffodils. Cheek clenching at first with some black tea and lime pickle but dissolved into tinned peach and pineapple. It had oily black olives that morphed into pine resin and Ambre Solaire when watered. Then bountiful sugared almonds, on iced fairy cakes, shortcrust pastry, blackcurrant cordial and cherry Bakewell tart bounced from the glass. The finale was of flapjacks and Digestives with dates, prunes and hazelnuts. Pine nuts had the final shout.

Our noses were beguiled by flower shops, ripe vanilla pods, orange Muscat, brown sugar and cinnamon swirls. On the palate, this charming chalice of cha-cha-cha combined the sweet melody of Rocky Road, muscovado and vanilla sponge, with harmonic layers of pot-pourri and gooseberry fool – all thrumming to the passionate rhythms of Chinese five-spice and bourbon woodiness. The reduced nose was a bright kitchen, containing raspberry Creamola foam, pink Angel Delight, honey on toast and apple pie and fruit scones fresh from the oven. And now the sexy palate dance continued with lemon drizzle cake, banoffee pie, Armagnac and brandy snaps – mmmm.

Our noses were tickled by pepper, mustard, straw mats and sawdust, but it settled to jellied fruits, blackcurrant chews, orange jelly, fruity toffee, tinned pineapple and syrup sponge with custard. With water, those black pepper clouds parted and the sun shone on ripened orchard fruits (apple, pear, peach, apricot, cherry). The palate offered a warm peppery tingle, hinting at nutmeg and chili; we also found honey, toffee, fruit pastilles, blackcurrant, lemon, ice lolly sticks and some biscuit-y dryness. In reduction, fruits of the forest were balanced nicely by hints of humbug, pepper, liquorice, leather and tea.

Picture a thatched cottage nestling among fields filled with dusty hay bales after a brief shower of summer rain. Step through a doorway circled by nasturtiums and geraniums and be drawn to the inviting aromas of baking: hot scones, almond tart, cinnamon pastries and rich Battenberg cake. Nibble on white chocolate studded with white peppercorns, yellow jelly babies and juicy lychees in syrup. Our buxom hostess sets blowsy red roses on the table now set with rhubarb and apple pie with vanilla custard, buttered croissants with creamy coffee. She folds palmolive scented towels to air on the Aga. Idyllic!

The nose was complex and interesting – sweet and spicy with some cosmetics and light struck match, plus an array of outdoor impressions (earthy, grassy, ripe fruits, wood sap, twigs and riverbanks). It seemed fresher with water (peach melba yoghurt, leaf mould, washing blowing in the breeze) though one panelist got a rugby player’s kit-bag. The palate however had massive, intense sweetness and mouth-scorching peppery, ginger heat – panelists reported Vimto concentrate and rhubarb dipped in brown sugar. With water, we found toffee, butterscotch, Old English spangles and ice-cream soda, with a few more masculine hints of mint tic-tacs, old wood and allotments.

A gaggle of girls perched on dusty haybales as they fussed over groomed ponies. The scent of oiled wood mingled with plaited manes and well-worn leather saddles. They feasted on well stewed apple and cinnamon crumble with creamy toffee sauce, along with hazelnut praline. The giggling girls pursed their cherry lips in surprise at the sudden heat. They fed their ponies waxy apples and hard pears. They bounced old basket balls on freshly cut grass, then lolled in the sun while weaving daffodils into their hair. They munched on banana bread with clotted cream washed down with homemade ginger beer.

On the nose neat we were baking buttery shortbread biscuits and we heavily dusting with powdered sugar a stolen (bread like cake with nuts, spices and candied fruits). On the palate neat, malty, salty and spicy like peppernut or gingerbread cookies filled with marzipan and apricot jelly. When we added water herbal, citrus aromas were released at first before we were back at the cookies - browned butter pecan chocolate chip ones this time. To taste, as I was told from a reliable source, the cocktail you have to drink whilst in Las Vegas called Verbena with the so called ‘Szechuan Button’.

On the nose neat it was dark, dense and sweet like a mocha cake with a balsamic strawberry whipped cream filling, chocolate icing and topped with crunchy toasted hazelnuts. A lot less sweet on the palate, still dark and sticky but now more like a prune and date cake or spicy oven-roasted plums seasoned with cloves and allspice and toasted almonds sprinkled on top. Water released bitter orange, liquorice, chocolate covered prunes and a touch of wax. A lot more herbal now to taste like a Jagertee - strong black tea, red wine, plum brandy, over-proof dark rum and plenty of spices.

Wow! We were miraculously transported to Kentucky, into an old fashioned rackhouse where Bourbon gets matured. It is hot and dry, the air is filled with intense vanilla, woody, spicy aromas and we feel like those angels getting their fair share. Before we got hypnotized by the heady surroundings we took a sip. How satisfying; white chocolate chili brownies, honeyed granola cereal with banana chips and dried mango and passion fruit. Water added orange oil, buttery popcorn and that rare earthy/exotic scent found in grated black truffles. On the palate, like German soft candy filled with fruit juice called – ‘Nimm 2’ (take two).

Crème brulée then thick custard over pears, soon becoming more savoury (“quiche Lorraine with brown sauce”), chorizo sausage, Bovril, with traces of treacle toffee. At natural strength the taste echoes this: burnt sausages with toffee glaze – meaty and spicy. Water raises classic Spanish oak notes initially: dry overall, with matchbox striker, dusty dried fruits and baking spices. jam roly-poly pudding in the mouth, then a return of the savoury flavours (Marmite, Bovril), drying towards a spicy finish. Umami…After 17 years in a refill Hogshead, we transferred this whisky directly into a sherry butt for the remainder of its maturation.

This nose was a curious and eccentric conundrum - earthy bass notes of pepper, burnt twigs, tarry wood and salty sweetness growled resonantly with sugared almonds and meatballs, yet we also found trills, triplets and tremolos of fruit (pomegranate, banana, wine gums) and even flowers. The palate also had this odd salty/sweet combination – chocolate, toffee and ice-cream ricocheting off sea-salt, sardine and salted caramel. The reduced nose suggested salt and vinegar crisps, lavender and a Bloody Mary sprinkled with celery salt. The palate remained mouth-tingling, with dark honey, salt and wood – odd as three different socks – but very tasty.

We were greeted by a fresh coastal sea breeze reminding some of us of walking the dog on a bright early morning along a pebble beach with scattered crab baskets and the enticing aroma of salty and sweet seaweed in the air. Salty and sweet it was on the palate too, like scallops and sweet chili garnished with rocket leaves drizzled generously with balsamic vinegar. With a drop of water, we carried on walking, passing a fisherman giving a new lick of paint to his upside-down boat. The taste now like smoked haddock chowder with leeks and sweetcorn.

FUN ON THE BEACH

3.285 20yr Refill Ex-Bourbon Hogshead $48.00

Our noses were greeted by that old familiar character of perfumed floral smoke – a beach scene unfolded – some were playing beach cricket with limes and barrel staves instead of bats and balls; someone was squeezing lemons over salted prawns; others just sat idly by sipping margaritas and wearing Jo Malone’s lime, basil and mandarin perfume. The palate had the same DNA – an exquisite balance between sweet and smoky, salty and citric – flavours of herb and pepper-crusted barbecued fish, rocket and feta salad, peppermint, ash, salted liquorice, lemon and lime – a delight for all the senses and a gift to the imagination.

We felt like filling our plate from the buffet at a garden party. Whilst some got smoked mackerel salad with beetroot, sweet potato and horseradish seasoned with red wine vinaigrette, others enjoyed sweet cured marinated herring and new potato salad with sour cream. The main course was sweet and slightly ashy, barbequed succulent herbal sausages, Swedish meatballs, dry-cured smoked ham and summertime sweet pickles. With water, the vegetarian option, grilled glazed kebab skewers with courgette, aubergine, cherry tomatoes and pepper in a honey mustard oil dressing and in the finish, slightly burnt with a hint of ash, marshmallows.

Aromas filled the room in a harmonious fusion as scallops and king prawns drifted alongside smoked duck and walnut bread. A sticky sweetness was present with honey and treacle tart that seemed to be perfectly complimented by toasted pine nuts and strong black tea. Behind the sticky black tar and charcoal of the palate sat sweet carrots and parsnips roasted in honey and herbs. Water took us on a more maritime tour with smoked lobster and muscles in almond oil and balsamic glaze. Down to the finish of salted butter, liquorice sweets and sausage casserole, everything combined in one perfect moment of unity. This whisky previously inhabited an ex-bourbon hogshead.

We found this an eccentric and incredibly enjoyable whisky. Aromas of dough, pine wood, rock pools, salted limes, seaweed, fish boxes, lavender bath salts, prawn cocktail, tuna sushi roll, Paddington Bear marmalade, … do I need to continue? In the taste we found seared scallops in a herb-butter sauce, grilled king prawns and eggs Benedict on a charred muffin. In reduction; salty sea spray, steamed mussels and sea salted chocolate, with flavours of oysters in lime juice and a glass of Prosecco in the finish. After 23 years in an ex-bourbon barrel, we transferred this whisky directly into an Oloroso Sherry butt for the remainder of its maturation.

Thick plumes of smoke filled the nose as piles of wet leaves smouldered in the heat of the bonfire. Through the bellowing clouds came a subtle complexity that portrayed carnation and nasturtium with lily of the valley and sweet fennel seeds floating happily in the citric appeal of earl grey tea. With water a maritime mood moved in as oily mackerel and sardines complement the clean salt of glistening rock pools. The palate echoed a sweet resonance that bounced between smoked fudge and orange liqueur before being lost in a strong brew of lapsang souchong tea. A light dusting of smoked paprika balanced the finish as reverberations of new oak could be heard from the distance.

This is no shy and retiring dram! Carbolic soap and poster paint aromas begin, then the sweet smoke from burnt heather and fresh autumnal undergrowth. Medicinal like old first aid kits and sweet hot smoked salmon by the beach. Take a sip at full strength and it is satisfyingly big! A bitterness like chewing liquorice root and burnt sticks. the smoke fills your mouth and leaves a hint of iodine. Water calms things down (if that's what you want). Floral with dried herbs on the nose. Then the medicinal theme continues - sticking plasters, TCP, savlon and lint bandages. All with newly made raspberry jam in the background.

The nose evokes sea breezes over a Calmac ferry pier, peat smoke, barbeques and demolition sites; also marshmallows, beeswax and leather. On the palate, steaks and lavender are burning on the barbeque – ash, smoke and perfumed soot; sherbet straws emerge later.

The BBQ was in full swing, crackling as we added heather, lavender and sweet Applewood to the charcoals, the smoke from which danced across the wet sands of the beach. The mussels in creamy white wine sauce and lobster bisque had already been served and we were just searing juicy scallops and king prawns with sweet chili sauce. Pouring another glass of vintage German Riesling we prepared the smoked duck and ribs with sticky glaze to go with a fennel and cream sauce and pea and ham soup. After 20 years in an ex-Bourbon Hogshead this was transferred into a 2nd fill French oak Hogshead for the remainder of its maturation.

We were throwing the ultimate barbeque with sizzling sage sausages, pulled pork, burgers and chicken drumsticks but also fancier like halloumi wrapped bacon bites and baked BBQ tofu toast. There was a lot of seasoning going on as the taste was fiercely hot - wasabi and strong mustard came to mind next to spicy Texas-style barbeque sauce. After a gulp of water ashy and sooty, slightly dirty and oily smoke teased our olfactory system and on the palate cod liver oil, smoked sardines in olive oil and salty liquorice graced our palate – certainly not to everyone’s taste.

Our four-legged friends were trotting over mossy grass, their wee hooves kicking up the turf in divots. Over summer, their woollen blankets had been stored in a wooden chest, scented with camphor and lavender. The adults barbecued prawns, Portuguese sardines and honey-glazed eggplant while snacking on wasabi fresh sushi and frittata. The ponies nuzzled into to the fire - smoke mingling in their hairy coats. Rain came, as predicted, and brought sweetness as the children guzzled candy floss, fudge and chalky rock candy. The afternoon ended with cooling mint and wet ash, the ponies happily munching handfuls of malt.

There was immediately a lovely smoky sweetness, best described like opening the door to a walk-in humidor with a chocolate fountain operating inside. We then sat in comfy leather sofas and snaked on smoky salty peanuts and old-fashioned Macintosh toffee. The taste however was a medicinal peat smoke, ash and tar attack, almost acrid but saved by the dark sweetness of chewy treacle toffee. Water turned the nose into smoked chicken pot pie with a sweet potato crust and the taste was now completely transformed; gentle sweet peat smoked candied angelica on a salted chocolate tart.

The nose insinuated fruity sweets (wine gums, cherry Tunes) but its core was herbal, mineral, cleansing smoke in an American Indian sweat lodge – one panellist got a cigar-smoking artist in his studio. The palate was rather dark, deep and mystic – bramble jam sweetness against ash, tar and liquorice root. Water shifted the nose to a softer, sweeter place (vanilla, fresh fruit salad) but nonetheless the impression was an island blackhouse with creosoted fence, roofing felt on a wooden coal bunker and sheep dip nearby. The reduced palate struck a reasonable balance between fruity sweetness (candied orange, limeade) and lively, medicinal smoke.

Our noses detected laundry (wooden tubs, washboards, mangles) with lemon soap; some sweetness developed (lemon bonbons, Moffat toffees, Oddfellows) while smoke, coal bunkers and creamy goat’s cheese rolled in ash arrived later. Water highlighted the savoury, spicy notes – chili onion jam, humbugs, cinnamon swirls and pork belly cooked with five-spice. The palate however, was big and smoky from the word go – wood ash, tar and carbolic; quite a bit of wood (sweet oak, old tarry ship’s timbers) with sweetness (Edinburgh Rock) that was sometimes deeper and darker (syrup of figs, liquorice, sherbet fountains, sweet and sour, soy sauce, char sui).

Aromatherapy in a glass – one sniff and the scent of sweet smoke was sending us all into peat heaven. The aroma of sage roasted pork belly and caramelised crispy pork rinds with preserved lemons, rosemary and chilli flakes left us almost in a trance. The taste neat was then like a pick-me-up! A real bruiser; lively, hot and ashy flavours mixed together with extra strong mint freshness. Water added aromas of sweet and salty popcorn, candyfloss and toasted marshmallows. The taste was now much more manageable, smoked vanilla custard and smoked salted toffee apples. That was a rollercoaster but we enjoyed the ride.

On the nose neat; rich oak, a fresh bunch of peony flowers, rose water, violet essence and perfectly ripe strawberry mascarpone tart with a Port glaze. Very smooth with an oily/silky mouthfeel and an explosion of flavours; glace cherries, marzipan, chocolate coconut and Turkish delight truffles. If you wish to add a drop of water, however, we almost refused to do so, you will not be disappointed as herbal aromas of steaming turmeric roasted sweet potatoes and macadamia soup appeared and on the palate, still very balanced, very classy just a little spicier maybe like mocha eclairs with cinnamon espresso crème anglaise. Region: Tennessee, USA