What we call “Traditional Oak” is a careful selection of second fill bourbon casks, traditional because it doesn’t add too much influence to the spirit. It simply lets it breathe and mature, taking its long time to smoothen out the edges, without trying to dominate it with too much vanilla or fruit. It’s an approach that is the exact opposite of some of our experimental finishes, and which is appreciated by the purists. It’s a refined whisky: both nose and palate are dry, lemony, crisp, mineral, aromatically subtle but complex. Peat smoke is still powerful, especially at the palate because it’s bottled at cask strength (add water if you like), but it evolves gradually with a beautiful crescendo rather than with a brutal blast.