A long finish of five years in a first fill Oloroso sherry hogshead brought us this lovely Speyside malt at the peak of its maturation. In spite of the wine, the result is never too cloying or heavy-handed: on the contrary, it retains an interesting minerality. The first impact at the nose has orange peel and a touch of oak, but it’s also very creamy and slightly leathery. Apricots and peaches, and just a touch of raisins. At the palate, it’s smooth but again, not explicitly sweet or thick: it actually remains on the drier side, albeit with raisiny notes. Fruity but elegant, not dominated by the wine. The leathery note arrives on the palate too, but at a later stage, leading to a finale that shows great minerality together with the delicate tannins: long, warm, caressing but with a touch of spice.