Part of Diageo's Special Releases for 2018, a single malt from the Oban distillery in the Highlands. Distilled in 1996, matured for 21 years in refill European-oak butts and bottled in 2018. Bottled at a natural cask strength of 57.9%. (Bottle size 750ml)

Nose: A dry maritime aroma, with warm sand, dry seaweed and crystalline salt. Beyond this, fruitcake seen through peat, menthol, linseed oil, barley sugar, wet sand and charred timbers.

Palate: Powerful, with a creamy texture, and surprisingly sweet, with some salt. Then drying, with cocoa powder, toasted coconut, spearmint and menthol.

Finish: Spicy and cooling, yet also sweetly warming with subtle smoke and a hint of charred grass on a sea breeze.