Taster

Nose: Concentrated, complex, resin, seville orange, prune, varnish, roasted nuts. Almost Armagnac-like: earthy weight, savoury density.

Palate: Powerful, rich, mouth-coating; dark fruit, cocoa. Almost meaty. Great balance. Lighter tannins than you'd think.

Finish: Long, sweet and soft.

Comment: A great example of European oak and Macallan in harmony. Exceptional indeed.

Score: 9

Taster

Nose: Sooty. Smoky. Burnt. Crème brûlée. Sweetish. Very malty.

Palate: Toffeeish, but in an interplay of soft sweetness and harder, smokier, more burnt flavours. Sticky toffee pudding meets hard treacle toffee.

Finish: Buttery. Spicy. Hot rum butter.

Comment: Not so much a winter whisky as a bear-hug. Or do the Grampians have a Mac Yeti?

Score: 8.8