The Singleton of Dufftown 18 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 70cl

Great mouthfeel: light to medium body, softly coating the tongue.

Sweetness softly introduces a longer, drying oakiness. Stewed-fruit freshness. Wood-smoke spiced with faint black pepper.

Soft, inviting, dry, and autumnal. Sweet, stewed fruits (apricot preserve), ripe autumn apples, and rich berry fruits. Soon, roasted nuts; hazelnut, walnut. Wood Scented too; dry tea-leaves, fresh-cut pine resin. The fruits soften, revealing rich vanilla and toffee over chocolate and caramel. This smoothness is finely balanced by subtle cereal; neither overpowering nor cloying. A little water restores the appetising fruit: blackberries, pears in syrup. Vanilla and polished wood too.

Firm to full. Again dry and sweet, gently dominated by nuts, dark toffee, and gentle mint, before the fruits return as rhubarb and apple juice. Becomes deep and mouth-coating; a hint of almond biscuit, then woody, light spiciness. Late dryness with a rich, silky cocoa bitterness, growing spicy. The fruits darken and run sweetly below. Water cools things; softer and less rich now, dominated by the sweet fruit. Very subtle mint and liquorice toffee notes.