Cask No. 53.430

The nose was a harvest of herbs – rosemary, tarragon and bouquet garni – backed by some pickled gherkins, liquorice and mescal. Savoury notes appeared on the palate – smoked ham hough, cooked split peas, brown sauce and wood smoke from a garden bonfire. The reduced nose suggested an iron axe dug out of the peat bog, yeast extract on welly boots, rye bread, scorched peanuts and a pencil case. The palate had smoked salt on a charred steak and black pepper on paté made from oak-smoked haddock; the finish brought those herbs back – lovage, rosemary, bay leaf and the numbing effect of nutmeg.

USA allocation: 270 bottles