North Star Dalmunach Series 21

Nose: Blackberries, raspberries, cranberries, black and red liquorice, chocolate and cinnamon. A huge nose – bloated, blowsy, boozy and beautiful. Palate: A sweet, plush arrival – incredibly fruity and full of cherry compote, blackberry jam, butterscotch sauce and caramel with a dusting of cocoa and cinnamon. The texture is full and lip-smacking. Finish: Medium/short. Prunes stewed in port with a hint of ginger and cinnamon. A completely mad and wonderful whisky that is almost more port than scotch. Purists would run for the door in horror and I admit on first nosing I thought it was odd and funky (a word I very seldom use in connection with whisky) and almost repulsive. However, after the first sip I quickly came to like it and the initially odd-seeming nose resolved into a much more pleasant experience. It’s very drinkable neat with not a hint of the alcohol volume. With water the port influence retreats a little and woody notes from the barrel peek through, which is very pleasant. It’s a crazy whisky but I liked it enough to sprint for the stand after the event to buy a bottle. Initially this was in a refill hogshead but was re-racked by the presenter into another hogshead which had previously held ruby port, and it rested in that intense environment for a whole 18 months of its 6 year life. “Good”: 84/100 (3.75 stars)