The nose took us to a distant pine forest with minty nettles, smoked berry jam, heather, tomato leaves and liquorice. Clutching a hoard of old paper notes in a leather wallet, the Panel imagined clambering through a polished oak wardrobe into a sunny new land. On the palate the Panellists became more vivid in their imaginings: licking a jam-smeared coal scuttle, chewing on a sun-soaked piece of wood and gnawing on grilled pineapple with fresh minty notes followed by ash. 

With water our intrepid travellers were transported to a sun-soaked old sailor’s cabin where a ploughman’s feast of sourdough bread, hard and soft cheeses, warm sticky toffee pudding, maple syrup and pineapple cube candies awaited them. On the palate the feasting continued well into the night. The table was laden with tannic pretzels, briny olives, hot smoked salmon and grilled bacon sandwiches (with mango chutney for dipping) while the scent of sweet smoke tobacco lingered on. After five years spent maturing in a bourbon hogshead, this whisky was transferred to a 1st fill American oak Pedro Ximenez hogshead for the remainder of its maturation.