A very rare bottle, the bottlings for Italy being more common – without being common of course. Colour: gold. Nose: any whisky lover should try to taste these old Laphroaig 10. Unblended, Cinzano, Philippi, Bonfanti, Sommerset, whatever, it’s almost obligatory to have tried one of those at least once. Yes, I know they have got very expensive, but gather a few friends and share a bottle! What’s really impressive here is the way it displays many tropical fruits, while keeping an ‘idea’ of a coastal smokiness in the background. Maracuja, mangos, hessian, dried kelp, not-too-ripe pineapples, garden bonfire, old books and papers... What’s even more impressive is the way it holds its head high, after the powerhouse from TWE. Mouth: I had found it a little subdued when the bottle was opened, but after a few days of breathing, it just got utterly splendid. The complexity is amazing, and actually, you just don’t know where to start. With these grapefruits? The pineapples? The salted fish? The smoked seashells? The lapsang souchong? The kiwis? The fresh oils and butters? The old-style cough syrups? The dry white wines? The notes of liquorice allsorts mingled with the ashes and cigar smokes? My, what a glorious glory! In fact, there are hundreds of other flavours, but I guess you’ve got other things to do… Finish: medium, but so complex and ‘peacock-taily’ (apologies) that it brings you straight to nirvana. Comments: buy a bottle, share. Those 2 or 3cls alone will be worth cases of contemporary unaged oak-doped whiskies. One small Alba truffle vs. 25 kilos of Nutella!

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