ABERLOUR

A meandering elegance and surprising degree of weight, too, with the most charming and gentle smokiness drifting around in very old-fashioned Speyside style. A classic exhibition of oak and barley interplay: perfect balance and respect for the other. There is even a surprise fruit note of sharp passion fruit: where the hell did that come from..? Could nose this all day, if I had the time.

Right: so, does this complexity on the nose transfer across to the palate...? Oh, my word it certainly does! The delivery is seemingly choreographed, the malt of varied intensities - sometimes a little sharp (that passion fruit, again?), sometimes almost gristy sweet; sometimes ethereal, sometimes weightier as that minor phenol makes the most subtle of impacts - dancing across the palate without an off-note in the world.

Light butterscotch, lighter barley but still tan peek-a-boo smoke adding the telling late weight and gently fizzing spices for good measure. Oh, and some very late heather-honey, too, which is pretty unusual at this very late stage.

This malt really has pure star quality. Elegant doesn't do it justice. If you find this in a shop, snap their bloody hands off: this is Scotch malt whisky at its very best!