35.38 Fire in the hole!

Cask No. 35.38

The nose had toffee apples, pecans, popcorn, orange syrup, acid drops and sticks of rock – “like an old fashioned sweetie shop”. The palate provoked exclamations including “Holy-moly!” and “Fire in the hole!” as its lava/chilli heat caught us unawares. Someone described burnt orange grenades exploding, then fizzing in the mouth. Cinder toffee and salty, golden syrup pannecotta appeared on the reduced nose; very little water (surprisingly) brought the palate under control – now an impressive balance of mellow warmth and perfumed sweetness, with a nutty toffee finish – quite moreish. The only distillery owned by a certain French company based in Bathgate.

Drinking Tip: After dinner, with coffee

Date Distilled: May 2000 Colour: Dark toffee gold Age: 9 years Cask Type: Second-fill ex chardonnay barrique