Blair Athol 1993 23YO Single Malt Scotch Whisky 700ml (ABV 58.4%)

A superlative example of Blair Athol, one of the Highlands’ most under-appreciated distilleries. Characterised by Blair Athol’s signature nutty, spicy character, this cask-strength single malt is full of candied peel, baked apples, chocolate and fruit-cake flavours.

This limited-edition 23-year-old whisky has been aged in ex-sherry European oak casks, resulting in a rich, full-bodied dram in quintessential Blair Athol style. A great choice for fans of sherry-aged whisky and the first time the distillery has been included in Diageo’s Special Releases.

Nose - At first vinous and drying. Soon, peanut brittle and honey leap out; intensely sweet with a savoury backbone. Hints of toffee and caramel continue, with brûlée topping and baked bananas. Next, a complex layer of herb and spice: tarragon and mint with warming spice. Opens out into sweet buttermint, accompanied by more nuts as well as savoury leaves and forest floor notes. A little water dries, and introduces a trace of chocolate malt.

Palate - Rich, smooth, sweet and warming; fruity too. Much more savoury than the nose, with barrel char, spicy oak and liquorice. Aniseed ball heat and treacle toffee sweetness bring on lighter and sweeter notes of candied lemon zest and spiced cooking apple, before diving back into leafy herbs and warming spice. Water smoothly lifts the sweetness, with bitter-sweet fruit and oak, and sweet pepper.

Finish - Sweetly fragrant and spicy, as the sweetness of mint creams and caster sugar fades to leave a herb garden after rain and soft, oaky spice. Fresh mint, with hints of forest floor and charred oak.