Colour: dark gold. Nose: it’s not one of the classic old Ardbegs in the same series as it starts more on sultanas, bacon and honey sauce. Even less ‘big peat’ than in the Alligator. Goes on with a little sour apple juice, leather, walnuts, malt (beer) and something quite rubbery (bicycle inner tube) as well as a little mercurochrome. With water: more rubber, more tarmac and more kelp. Bitter chocolate as well. Also ‘funny’ whiffs of roses and patchouli. Mouth (neat): I find the sweetness a bit weird here, it’s unusually fruity in fact. Litres of raspberry eau-de-vie – in an old Ardbeg! I quite like that, it’s just that it’s so uncommon. Ardbeg 1975 24 Year Old Old Malt Cask

After that, more leathery tones, raisins, orange drops, gentian spirit, toffee… And something surprisingly metallic (silver spoon). Really an unusual one. With water: still a little weird. Orange and ginger liqueurs – I mean a mix thereof. Finish: long, first dry, then perfumy. Raspberry drops and heavy liquorice. Strange! Comments: as I wrote, this one is very unusual. Which kind of sherry was it? We’re closer to Port in my opinion… Having said that, it’s actually better than my notes suggest… It’s just very, very unusual. All right, not quite my kind.