There is a lot of variation among our bottlings of Beathan, our mystery Highlands malt made with a touch of peat by a very old distillery. This one, while still unmistakeable in style, is slightly sweeter and more delicate than others: we enhanced it with a finish for 27 months in a second fill Oloroso hogshead to give it a slight extra touch of fruitiness. The result has the typical earthiness of Beathan at the nose, the farmy and leathery notes that have come to love. But at the palate it’s slightly smoother than usual: a hint of raisins, a delicate sweet oakiness, a chewy texture. Still offbeat and quizzical, but not in a scary way. The finale is long on notes of damp earth, black tea, pepper, and a noticeable presence of tannins from the cask.