Adelphi (distilled at Dailuaine) 1983 27 year old, 58.1%

The dark color shouts “sherried!” and the nose confirms. After an initial blast of marzipan there's rosin, stewed Assam tea, some licorice, hard treacle toffee, truffle, and a charred element, all backed with an earthy undertow. The palate is tight and quite hot, with charred red pepper and a bosky, wooded note. Not a great fan of water — this is about that deep, fungal stuff — there's an uplift of sweet dark fruits at the end, offering balance. £105