A limited release of an old single malt from Speyside, first matured in a first fill bourbon cask and then enhanced for the final 56 months in first fill Pedro Ximenez: after thirty years in very active oak, a strong influence from the casks is expected, and that’s exactly what we find in the glass. At the nose, it’s as aromatically dark as the colour suggests: thick, raisiny, winey, with notes of dried plums, brown sugar, and a leathery and oaky note of old library. At the palate, it clearly shows the age: again winey, with notes of fine aromatic wood, initially quite tannic but not overwhelmingly astringent. While rich and concentrated, it’s actually very velvety. Notes of tamarind, too. Then, after a few seconds, there is an increasing progression of sweetness: molasses, raisins, chestnut honey, heavily infused black tea. While never actually becoming too sweet, this gentler and creamier side well matches the intense tannins.