There was a lot going on nosing it neat. Leathery and slightly oily mechanical aromas joined the scent of warm banana bread, blackcurrant jam and plum wine. On the palate, we ate a venison haunch steak au poivre with sautéed potatoes and bit on a small pellet from a shotgun. Water added rum cherries and boozy cherry molasses while to taste, a dark sambuca liqueur with pungent flavours of aniseed, liqurice and black pepper emerged, with a spiced blackberry cordial in the finish. Following 17 years in an ex-bourbon hogshead, we transferred this whisky into a 1st fill custom toasted American (70%) and European (30%) oak hogshead.