Haddock 12yo

From a distillery just north of Glasgow, this is a surprisingly creamy and complex single malt, carefully selected from the best single cask of the batch. Winey but soft, with a wonderfully nose of dried fruits, it is a great example of whisky in an old-fashioned sherried style. At the palate, especially with a drop of water, it is very sweet, juicy, honeyed and raisiny but without ever becoming thick or cloying. There’s a marked note of candied oranges, with that nice touch of bitterness and sourness. It’s the kind of sherry cask that translates into fruity complexity rather than bracing arrogance. In the end it becomes spicier and mineral, with a hint of tannins and pepper.