Batch 29

Pale colour. Hugely creamy nose with green, piney elements, and a touch of nose burn. Then comes soft honeysuckle and butteries covered with apricot jam. In time, things move into apple syrup and, with water, a touch of agave.

Remains very appealing with ample amounts of the green element – now with added herbal/fennel aspects – and central sweetness. The heat helps to give some drive. There’s some marzipan when diluted.

Slightly tight, even with water. Spicy.

All in all, gentle and rather lovely.

A Cornish cream tea (that means cream on top of jam) in the woods.

Creamy start. A sightly confused breakfast, with hot milk on Weetabix crossed with apple pie and vanilla ice cream. There’s a lemony bite and a distant floral bouquet. Calm and collected. With water, there’s some cut grass.

Delicate and sweet, before some chewy vanilla comes over, mixing freesia with kumquat. Soft grain influence and a little charred oak. When diluted, shows itself to be medium-weight and slightly sugared.

The citrus zest returns, alongside light, drying spice.

It’s lovely, well-mannered, and very polite. Delicious, in fact, but do I want more from an 18-year-old blend? I think I do.

Having tea with Elizabeth Bennett and her sisters.

More Sherry from the off, which comes across as being slightly funky with touches of treacle toffee. Despite this, it remains in the very open and gentle house style, as if it’s trying to be down and dirty, but can’t quite bring itself to abandon itself to baser instincts. A touch of sulphur carries on through the undiluted palate, adding a cordite-like edge.

More obvious structure than the 18-year-old, but has retained this very sweet core, along with barley sugar and juicy, dried fruits. With water, a gentle biscuity quality and that hint of Oloroso on the end.

Little touch of oak.

Again, well-mannered – which is hardly a fault – though quite what this has to do with 1920s Bombay (the PR line) is beyond me.

A ballroom dancer trying to twerk.

The most obviously mature of the trio. Light touch of cigarette smoke and perfume alongside orange zest, stewed rhubarb, baked peaches and gentle evidence of the richness of time. Just a touch of wax, but still very up and sweet. With water, there’s white peach flesh. Elegant, but not heavy.

Slightly elusive, like a dancer half-revealed behind gauzy veils. A little heat, that hint of smoke, then lavender and strawberry. Becomes creamy, with sweet grain and clean spiciness.

Longer and with more honeyed substance.

Again, there is impeccable balance. It’s great blending, but I just want a little more grunt to proceedings to elevate it to another level.

As you sit outside a Parisian pâtisserie, an existentialist disappears around the corner, trailing smoke from his Gitanes.

Straw colour. Quite hot, lightly floral, but with minimal cask influence. Light and quite dry, with touches of lime oils and, in time, green banana. Opens slightly with water. On the column-still white rum side of things.

Much more open here than on the light nose, though it has retained that tight, floral focus. I’m reminded of butter icing on a banana cake. More lemon now, and an acidic bite. Water brings out a real sugary sweetness and lightens the finish.

Light and short.

It’s light, it’s pleasant, but it’s also slightly insubstantial.

Eating a Mr Whippy on Girvan beach.

Deep amber. Hugely elegant. Aromatic to start – damask rose, concentrated fruits, membrillo, cooked plum, roast pineapple. In time, a darker, moist, humic element comes through – leather and sweet leaf mulch with dark berries. Develops for hours into a mélange of wild fruits.

Slow, and growing slowly more expansive. The flavours shift into Cognac-esque areas of light leather, sweet spices and fruits. As with the nose, in time it moves from the airy upper elements into the depths – here it’s liquorice and chocolate. Has retained amazing length and energy. Classic old style, with the gentle power which we, sadly, rarely encounter these days.

Spicy, long, ginger and light oak.

A classic mature malt, and a classic Glenlivet that is highly recommended.

It can only be Abbado and Mahler.