A rich aroma coming from bread-and-butter pudding, crème brûlée, cinder toffee and chocolate-covered brazil nuts filled the room. On the palate we had stout made using an ancient brewing ingredient, spruce tips, giving flavours of toasted marshmallows and candied nuts, with a finish of chocolate-coated blackberries.

After reduction, everything turned dark – blackcurrant jam, blackberry crumble with custard, pumpernickel bread and a porter-style beer. To taste, we tucked into a decadent dark chocolate cheesecake with fresh raspberries, washed down with a glass of dark coffee liqueur. Following 14 years in an ex-bourbon hogshead, we transferred this whisky into a #4 heavy char 1st fill hogshead.