Part of Diageo’s Special Releases for 2020, a single malt from the Cragganmore distillery in Speyside. Distilled in 1999, matured for 20 years in a combination of refill casks and new fresh-charred American oak hogsheads, before being bottled in 2020. Bottled at a natural cask strength of 55.8%. (Bottle size 750ml)

Nose:Deeply wooded, the aroma is complex, with fruity top notes of ripe pear, melon, and green banana, then soft leather notes, on a faint base of sanded hardwood. Sweeter than regular expressions, yet with savoury undertones.

Palate: The texture is creamy-smooth, while the taste is rich and sweet, though not as sweet as the nose may suggest. That richness is soon delightfully balanced by a drying and savoury mid-palate.

Finish:Long, velvet-smooth, dry and chilli-spiced.