Cask No. 18.69

The Panellists peppered their notes with plenty of food connotations: jalapenos on salty nachos, a chimichurri steak and a mixed shellfish soup containing monkfish, hake, squid, mussels and clams seasoned with cayenne pepper. To taste, we visualised a visit to the Scottish Borders village of St Abbs with its thriving fishing harbour catching lobsters and local edible crabs. Imagine sitting on the harbour wall and eating, what is a must, one of the freshest crab sandwiches one can find. After reduction the wind carried exhaust fumes from the trawlers and wet wood, as well as wet, yellow rubber boots and raincoats. We washed down the crab sandwich with a pickleback. Following 11 years in an ex-bourbon hogshead, we transferred this whisky into a refill toasted French oak barrique.