The sweet, dark nose was satanically beguiling – Demerara dregs in espresso, molasses, honeyed figs, flapjacks, blackjacks, sweet black tea and dark chocolate; eucalyptus, and pencil shavings came later. The palate – a salty, treacly, mouth-watering assault of tarry tobacco, garibaldis, thick orange peel, balsamic glaze and black bean sauce – squeaked the teeth and found the tannic in Satanic. The reduced nose became more savoury – jugged hare with prunes and hickory-smoked ribs. The palate had less tannic thrash but remained sweetly sinister, with Hoisin duck and a well-used leather tawse sacrificed in the glowing embers of hell. The distillery was once a vineyard.