Spey Royal Choice, 46%

Hailing from the Speyside distillery, this has a deep orange color and an aroma of damp hay and a slightly vegetal note alongside caramel and peanut brittle. A perception of bitterness beside dried peels. The palate is thick with stewing fruits, tinned prune, and burnt sugar, with a background note of wet draff. Water lifts things a little, but it’s all rather sick and flabby. £150