Littlemill 1989 / 22 Year Old / Single Malts of Scotland

Nose: Slices of cold custard served with grown up fruit cake. Spicy leaves, drying bark, and a vegetal edge that hints at forest floors. A meaty savouriness, with the burnt bits on the edge of a roast. It changes as it sits in the glass, picking up rich cocoa and caramel.

Palate: Sour cherries, spiced apple, cloves, cinnamon sticks (whole, not ground). As it sits it gets more chocolatey, with caramel and woody spice. Towards the end wood takes over, with old dark beams and polished floors coming through. A slug of water (it can take it) brings out even more, with a touch of oiliness, even more fruit and some chocolatey goodness.

Finish: Restrained wood, with vanilla and coconut, dark chocolate and lingering drying red berries.

Comments: Rich, fruity, oily, woody and balanced.

Nose: Rich & syrupy, with milk chocolate, brown sugar, chocolate raisins, dark gingerbread and the faintest trace of burning leaves. Mince pies. In the moments when the sherry subsides a little – and when water is added - hay and a rich maltiness are discernible.

Palate: Very sweet immediately, then the warmth from the alcohol arrives with some lovely old polished wood and some earthy notes. This will benefit from a drop of water…yes, that’s better: chocolate and fruit cake emerging now, still a little hot. More water…there we go. Lovely sherry fruit, clean maltiness with hint of linseed and that very faint bonfire hint from the nose.

Finish: Long, warm, pleasingly drying, sweet & earthy

Comments: A really lovely drop from a rarely-seen distillery. Fascinating.