Cask No. 29.211

Cask No. 29.211

Jazzy jousting hastlitude

Islay

The nose gave peat smoke, tarry ropes and mezcal, Bakewell tart, plum liqueur, prunes and Armagnac. The lively, ‘jazzy’ palate had citric flavours, tarte tatin and blackcurrant throat sweets – we also found maple syrup on pancakes, treacle toffee, malt loaf, roasted chestnuts and carbolic. The reduced nose suggested peat smoke drifting over beaches – plus cough syrup and ash, raisins, pineapple and foamy bananas. The palate represented a joust between herbal, floral smoke and Dutch caramel waffle biscuits and dark brown sugar, with flinty dryness on the finish. After 20 years in ex-bourbon oak we transferred this to a first-fill PX hogshead.

Drinking tip: A dram to help you 'screw your courage to the sticking place'.