A classic Speyside malt with a short 12 months finish in 1st fill Pedro Ximenez casks, just to add a few nuances without betraying the original character of the spirit. It’s immediately obvious that it has remained as malty, tight, clean, flowery and rather dry as a whisky from this distillery should be. It definitely isn’t sweet: on the contrary, it’s surprisingly spicy from the start, even slightly astringent, with an appetizing profile. The influence from the dark Spanish wine can only be detected in an extra touch of nuttiness, a whiff of balsamic vinegar, and in a very late hint of fruit (peaches, plums). But apart from this, it remains nervous, compact, dry and peppery, with the marked spiciness revealing a certain tannic character towards the end too.