The initial nose was interesting, not stunning; carbolic, soap flakes, mineral notes and cooked ham; eventually turning floral (lavender, parma violets, gorse). Water sweetened it, bringing heather flowers,   honey, tobacco, leather and salt fish. The palate, on the other hand, was truly stunning - immense, manly, meaty and peaty - we got Victory V’s, liquorice, mint imperials, oily rags, cloves, chewing tobacco and Deep Heat; one panellist mentioned ‘an explosion in a soap factory’ someone else said ‘I’m blowing smoke rings!’ We thought the reduced palate absolutely fabby - chalky pandrops, peppercorns, manuka honey and sweet heathery smoke. The distillery dates from 1832.