1990 Dalmore 22 year old, Highland First Cask Series

Colour: Gold. Nose: A huge vanilla cake and a no less huge brioche at first nosing, then more toasts, praline, barley water and the expected milk chocolate and softer oranges. After that, myriads of tinier yet rather aromatic notes such as orange blossom, aniseed, maybe rosewater and then a little smoke again. Hay. Lovely nose.

With water: a huge fruit salad. Litchis, roses…

Mouth (neat): same feeling as at first nosing, a lot of vanilla and cinnamon, the whole being complemented with more milk and white chocolates after a few seconds, then Dalmore-ish oranges and also tangerines, Turkish delights and maybe touches of bananas and coconut. With water: plain oak comes out more, together with more bananas, but it’s all lovely.

Finish: Medium long, quite tropical in fact. Bananas and oranges with a dash of white pepper. Comments: one of the best middle-aged Dalmores I could try, with something that’s not too far from the stupendous old 20yo silver and black label (1970s).