Sometimes maturation in sherry casks yields surprising and unpredictable outcomes. In this case the result is not explicitly fruity or winey, not at first anyway. After two years of finish in this type of cask, this Speyside malt is perfectly mature, even if at the nose it may initially seem a bit restrained. Give it time and a drop of water, and it will reveal buttery notes, liquorice, and even a faint but funky gasoline note. But what makes it very surprising is that dark note of toasted bread! At the palate, it’s more predictable: creamy, but again not exceedingly sweet. Raisins, desiccated plums, and a very fragrant note of freshly sawn wood. It then suddenly becomes spicier, more peppery, tannic and mineral. And then, just before the end… here comes the sweetness, with a marked note of dark chestnut honey!