The Speyside Distillery / 28yo / Refill Hogshead / 45% / 263 bottled / 70cl

This cask had a slightly unusual route into the wolfpack. It was purchased from a lovely lady in Australia who inherited it from her late husband, who had quietly tucked it away years ago. The whisky had spent its entire life maturing at the distillery, wedged so deep in the warehouse that getting it out turned into something of a mission. What should have been a simple pickup ended up taking nearly a year before the cask finally saw daylight again. The artwork this time comes from Codo, who delivered something effortlessly cool for a whisky that clearly wasn’t in any hurry to leave home.

Nose: A full tropical fruit stall in a small glass. Mango sherbet, guava and passionfruit ice cream fighting for elbow room, with pink grapefruit, sweet oak and a spoonful of stewed rhubarb lurking nearby.

Palate: A tropical fruit salad put together by the Wiggles after a party (one for the parents there!). Mango, passionfruit and pink grapefruit everywhere, with honey and a strange  little flick of mint trying to bring some order to the chaos.

Finish: Medium and cheeky. Passionfruit, honey and citrus drifting around like a tropical breeze; Speyside is close to the equator right?