In the tradition of our rich, fruity and sweet bottlings from this Speyside distillery, we opted for a finish of 28 months in a first fill Pedro Ximenez hogshead. Deeply influenced by the Spanish dessert wine, it’s a playful and very juicy whisky, with deep notes of tropical fruits, raisins and pastry at the nose. There also is a hint of sugarcane and red tea. Its smoothness and round body make it very approachable even at cask strength, without the addition of water (although a drop helps in releasing even richer fruity notes of dried apricots and plums). At the palate it’s sweet and fruity, but not overwhelmingly so: there is tannic vibrancy and spice. It’s nutty, too, with plenty of candied oranges and again an herbal note of deeply infused tea. Towards the end, the spicy and tannic notes, and a touch of dryness, complement the creamy mouthfeel beautifully.