Batch 73

Ridiculously fruity and sweet to start: it’s all cherry pie and quince, but without losing the punch typical of the distillery. Becomes slightly oaky – cinnamon toast – with a light nose burn, but then there’s a burst of Jaffa Cakes and a return to the sweet fruits.

Very soft, and while the spiciness shoulders forward, the fruits are sufficiently super-ripe (almost going over) to soothe the mid-palate. There’s a light bite as the Marsala elements add a layer of apple and walnut. Water brings a return to the fresh oak.

Oxidised fruitiness.

Sweet and fruity; it’s the mix of Marsala’s nuts and butter which is the key here. Lovely.

Mixing a cake in your granny’s kitchen.

Intense and initially dry: peat shed, lichen on silver birch, and then some aromatics like bog myrtle and sesame oil before Laphroaig tarriness starts to build like a tsunami, mixing smoked chilli with salt flakes and fresh sea urchin. Water brings out lavender, then spice and the smoke once again. 

Immediate peatiness, accompanied by moss and kelp. The smoked elements become all-pervading: the boiler room of a fishing boat, hot roads and, especially with water, a savoury element akin to dried beef.

Medicinal and bold. 

It has that ability, peculiar to Laphroaig, to balance elegance with an untrammelled filthiness.

Queen of the Hebrides, meet the King of Creosote.

Cask-driven; to be precise, Sherry cask-driven. This is all chestnut and moistened raisin, to the extent that there’s almost a Guyana rum thickness going on. Add in cacao and a light oiliness, and the smoke barely gets a look-in. Instead it is well integrated into the whole. Water accentuates the savoury nature – here it’s less meaty and more soy sauce.

Into nuttiness immediately, then black grape, chocolate and, (finally!) scented, coal tar-like smoke. There’s good grip and huge Sherry impact. Water tightens the chestnut-like bands, ups the black fruits and tames the smoke.

Ripe, rich and thick. 

A good demonstration of how much wood Laphroaig can take without losing character and, while for Sherry lovers only, it’s worth seeking out. 

With a single motion, the silent butler drew back the heavy velvet drapes. The room beyond was scented with smoke.

Full-blooded Macallan from the off, with the distillery’s signature earthy, almost singed element backed by liquorice, mulberry jam and some dried peach in the background. There’s a bittersweet lift, however, with stem ginger and orange marmalade. Water turns up the bass notes; all dark fruit.

It is those heavier fruit elements which open on the tongue, alongside some cask sweetness, which then expands into chocolate, clove and then light tannin with more overtly Sherried elements coming through. Sweetness has been retained, however, along with a dry, gingery heat. Water allows acidity to sparkle and brings out citrus and baked apples.

Coffee and citrus peel.

Densely aromatic, this is a collaboration between Macallan’s Bob Dalgarno and the Roca brothers of famed Catalan restaurant El Celler de Can Roca. Like Edition No 1, this is a mix of different coopers and cask types. Clearly a series to collect – and enjoy. Who needs an age statement? Complex. Recommended.

Accidentally locked in the preserves cupboard, he settled in for the long haul. 

Is this Springbank masquerading as vin jaune? It’s certainly very fruity (think fresh pear juice), with a yeasty sort of sweetness, and a headily sweet perfume. It then switches from this exoticism into ham and lentil soup before a farmyard element begins to develop. Mealy with water, then fennel and mustard seed.

Very gentle, with some lavender-like perfume on the back palate. Soft and unctuous, there’s pink grapefruit and the soft orchard fruits seen on the nose. Water increases this subtlety, alongside a hint of dried sage.

Lightly smoked.

A graceful and remarkably vinous Springbank.

An Alpine idyll.

A drier and also slightly smokier variant than the Cadenhead bottling, this is also considerably more briny, with hints of coffee grounds. Water brings out touches of bike shop and those sea breezes.

Big and dry, with Springbank’s darker elements massing in the centre along with coal smoke. The thick fruits seen on the Cadenhead are here as well, with more oiliness. Appetising and mouth-watering. Though it remains rounded with water, there’s added bamboo-like sappiness, then cattle cake and more of the smoke clinging to the soft fruits.

Seashore-like.

While slightly tough to get into on the nose, this shows great balance and structure.

A crisp, cool morning at Machrihanish.